Box Score

UMass Lowell pounded out 11 hits and scored runs in five of their six turns at bat to beat Philadelphia University, 8-1, in the seven inning nightcap and earn a split in the season opening doubleheader at Diamond Nation in Flemington, N. J.
 
The River Hawks (1-1) and Rams (1-1) square off twice more Monday afternoon (12:00pm.)
 
“We executed very well,” says UMass Lowell Coach Ken Harring.  “The work we did during the winter paid dividends.”
 
The River Hawks jumped on top in the first with the help of a walk, a hit batsman and less than stellar Philadelphia University defense.  Sophomore Geoff DeGroot (Wesley Chapel Fla.) opened the game with a single, his first of three hits in the game, and promptly stole second. After senior Pat Devlin (Tewksbury, Mass.) was walked, senior James Katsiroubas (Milton, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out.  Sophomore Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass.) drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to center.  The second run scored on a fielder's choice.
 
UMass Lowell upped the lead to 3-0 in the third inning.  Ricoy reached on a throwing error, advanced to third on a double drilled to right center by sophomore Pat Parker (Merrimack N. H.) and scored on a wild pitch.
 
A Ryan Shellock solo home run in the top of the fourth briefly narrowed the gap to two, but the River Hawks responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning.  Sophomore Jacob O'Keefe (Wellington, Fla.) singled to open the frame, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on an infield out and scored on DeGroot's second single of the ballgame, 4-1.
 
The River Hawks extended the lead further in the fifth inning plating two more runs on a two out single to centerfield by Junior Greg Wilson (Medford, Mass.)
 
“Wilson had big hits for us,” says Harring.  “That single broke the game open.”
 
UMass Lowell put the game out of reach in the sixth inning.  Freshman Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) ignited the inning with a single to right.  He stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch.
 
The River Hawks, however, were not done; Devlin walked and Katsiroubas singled. After a pitching change, Ricoy singled to left scoring Devlin and upping the lead to the final of 8-1.
 
Sophomore righthander Shane Beauchemin (Manchester, N. H.) turned in a strong six inning performance to win up the win.
 
“He threw well and showed toughness,” says Harring.  “He battled out of a jam in the sixth, he kept the ball down and he had good velocity.”
 
Beauchemin allowed five hits and a single run.  He walked one and struck out four.
 
Junior closer Mike Calzetta (Lawrence, Mass.) threw an uneventful seventh to end the ball game.
 
“He has mental toughness, he attacks hitters,” says Harring.
 
DeGroot, Parker and sophomore Matt Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) all had multi hit games for the River Hawks.  Parker had UMass Lowell's only extra base hit in the second game; a double.
 
The win in the nightcap erased the frustration of the opener.
 
Hunter Greenwood homered with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to give Philadelphia University a 6-5 victory over UMass Lowell in the baseball season opener earlier in the day.
 
The Greenwood blast completed a comeback after Philadelphia University trailed 4-1 through six innings.
 
The River Hawks' lead was built scoring a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings without the benefit of a run scoring base hit.
 
A Sanchez double, a hit batsman and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with nobody out in the fifth inning.  The runners scored on an infield out by sophomore Luke Reynolds (Manchester, N. H.) and a sacrifice fly by DeGroot.
 
UMass Lowell scored twice more in the sixth inning.  The first run crossing the plate on an infield error, the second on an infield out.
 
River Hawk starter junior Garrett Cole (Bedford, N. H.) was terrific through six, allowing one hit and an unearned run, but appeared to run out of gas in the seventh inning.
 
Philadelphia scored four times on four hits and a balk against two River Hawk pitchers.
 
Cole, who left the game with a 4-2 lead, was charged with 5 runs, 4 earned in 6.2 innings of work.  He struck out eight and walked one.
 
“Cole pitched great,” says Harring of the righthander who was sidelined a year ago with injuries.  “He had command of all three of his pitches.  I couldn't have been happier with how he threw the baseball.”
 
Trailing 5-4, UMass Lowell tied the game in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Freshman Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) brought the River Hawks even with a two out single to centerfield on the first pitch of his collegiate career.
 
The tie was short-lived; Greenwood's ninth inning homer off reliever senior Mike Sloban (Merrimac, Mass.) gave the Rams the win.
 
Sloban worked 2.1 innings surrendering three hits and a run.
 
Ricoy led the River Hawk offense going 2-for-5 with a run scored.