Baseball: Eighth Inning Lightning Powers UMass Lowell Win

Tuesday, March 12

Boca Raton, FL

3:00 PM

University of Massachusetts Lowell

8-4

Lynn University

14-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UMass Lowell	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	8	12	0
Lynn University	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	3

Photo by: Bob Ellis

Baseball: Eighth Inning Lightning Powers UMass Lowell Win

3/12/2013 6:14:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Jimmy Ricoy’s 8th inning blast leads River Hawks to an 8-2 victory

Sophomore Jimmy Ricoy's eighth inning two-out, two-run, homerun put the UMass Lowell baseball team ahead to stay en route to a 8-2 come-from-behind victory against Lynn University, Tuesday afternoon, at the Lynn Baseball Filed, in Boca Raton, Florida.

Sophomore Geoff DeGroot (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) started the decisive inning with a single to right. He was replaced on the base paths when freshman Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) bounced into a fielder's choice. Consolmagno advanced to second an error and moved to third on a fly ball. Ricoy followed with the bomb to left, his third hit of the day, giving the River hawks a 4-2 lead.

“(Ricoy) looked awful in batting practice, we sent him down to the cage and made some adjustments,” says Coach Ken Harring. “In big situations things really slow down for him and he gives us his best swings when we really need them; you can't teach that.”

Ricoy, a Lowell, Massachusetts native, went three-for-five with three RBI and two runs scored.

UMass Lowell improves to 8-4, taking four of their first six on the Florida tour, Lynn University falls to 14-7.

The River Hawks put the game away adding four more runs in the top of the ninth on three hits a walk and an error. All four runs were unearned.

UMass Lowell battled from behind twice during the ball game.

Trailing, 1-0, the River Hawks evened the score in the second. Ricoy opened the inning with a line single to right center. He moved up two bases on a passed ball and scored on a sophomore Pat Parker (Merrimack, N. H.) single up the middle.

Down a run again in the fifth inning, UMass Lowell evened the score with two men out. Sophomore Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) singled to center on a two-strike pitch stole second and after a walk to Geoff DeGroot came around to score on a single by Consolmagno.

All of that set the stage for the Ricoy blast.

Eight different River Hawks pounded out 12 hits in the ballgame. In addition to Ricoy's three hits, Consolmagno went two-for-five with two runs scored and two RBI and Parker went two-for-five with two RBI.

“As a team, we swung the bats really well,” says Harring. “We worked the count and battled; we had several two-strike hits.”

Freshman righthander Jordan Del Sol (Elizabeth, N. J.) picked up the win with 4.2 innings of shutout relief. He allowed three hits and a walk. De Sol struck out two.

“He was the story,” says Harring. “He mixed in all of his pitches. He doesn't throw hard, but he hits his spots. It was fun to watch; he was an artist.”

Closer junior Mike Calzetta (Lawrence, Mass.) pitched the ninth striking out one and ending the game with a double play ball.

Senior lefty Vinny DePierro, making his first start in more than a year went 3.1 innings allowing two hits and two runs. He walked three and struck out one.

The River Hawks pitchers allowed only five hits and the ballclub played errorless defense.

AJ Falleta, the fifth of seven Fighting Knights pitchers, took the loss. He allowed four runs, one earned, in just two-third of an inning of work.

The UMass Lowell Florida odyssey continues Wednesday with a doubleheader against multiple opponents in Fort Pierce, Florida. The River Hawks face Nyack College at noon and then battle Mercy College at 3:00pm.

UMass Lowell will not play at LeLacheur Park until March 27 when they host Merrimack.