The Big Red baseball team split a doubleheader with UMass Boston on Friday in Port Charlotte, Fla. Denison won the opener 10-3, but suffered an 11-5 setback in game two.

Denison took a commanding lead in game one thanks to a six-run bottom of the second inning. Already up a run, the Big Red pounded out six hits and took advantage of two Beacon errors en route to plating six runs.

After leading off the inning with a double, senior Zac Lewinski scored the first run of the frame on a Tucker Davison single up the middle. Georgie Montes plated Davison from second with an RBI single to right. On the play, Montes would make it all the way to third on a two-base error in right. Freshman Tanner Johnson would bring home the senior with a sacrifice fly to center. Senior Lascelles Lagares delivered the final blow of the inning with a double to right that scored classmates Ryan Mulligan and Charlie Apfelbach. Lagares also came around to score on the play by way of another two-base miscue in right.

Down 7-0, UMass Boston plated their first run of the morning when Coley Barker hit a one-out solo home run to center field. DU answered in the fourth with a Mulligan sac fly to right that scored Montes. Each team scored twice in the eighth to round out the scoring. Barker scored his second run of the game on a Big Red miscue, while Chris Adams knocked in Delvis Baez with an RBI single. On the first pitch of Montes' final at bat, freshman Jack Blanchard scored on a wild pitch. The senior sent the next pitch over the left field wall for his first home run of the season.

Montes finished a triple away from the cycle after going 4-for-5 with a double, home run, two RBIs and four runs scored. He also swiped his first base of the season. Apfelbach also had two hits and a run, while Mulligan and Lagares each drove in a pair. Sophomore Johnny Funkhouser improved to 1-0 on the season after giving up just one run on five hits in five innings of work. Funkhouser also struck out three and walked two. Freshman Perley Provost tossed three innings out of the pen, surrendering two runs (one earned) on one hit with four Ks, while JT Trimble tossed a hitless ninth with one strikeout and three walks.

Adams and Barker paced the Beacons in game one. Adams went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Barker was a perfect 2-for-2 with a home run, and RBI and two runs. Starter Sal Frosceno took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in two innings.

In the nightcap, the Beacaons scored in every inning except one en route to the six-run victory. UMass Boston set the tone early by scoring four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first. The two squad exchanged runs in the second inning to push the score to 5-1. In the top of the third, sophomore Evan Flax laced a single through the right side that scored Blanchard from third. With one out, Apfelbach plated Montes with a ground ball to short that close the gap to 5-3. However, single runs in the third and fourth for UMass Boston made it a 7-3 game.

Single runs were traded across the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, moving the score to 9-5 with two innings to play. After a scoreless top of the eighth, the Beacons pushed across two more runs to build a six-run lead.

Montes and Flax each had two hits to pace the Big Red, while Apfelbach drove in a pair. Montes also scored three of Denison's five runs in the game. Freshman Andrew Bruss took the loss after allowing five runs on six hits in 1.1 innings.

Frosceno went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs for UMass Boston, while Daniel Mantoni was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run. Catcher Todd Ezold had two extra-base hits, four RBIs and two runs. Alex Carusotto (2-0) picked up the win in relief after giving up an unearned run on two hits with four Ks in three innings of work.

Denison moves to 3-4 on the year, while UMass Boston sits at 6-5. DU wraps up its spring break trip on Saturday with a doubleheader against Lancaster Bible. Game one of the twinbill is scheduled for 9 a.m.