Box Score The UMass Lowell trip to sunny Florida started on a sour note as the River Hawks dropped a 7-2 decision to Wilmington University, Friday afternoon in Boca Raton, Fla.
 
The loss drops UMass Lowell's record to 4-3, Wilmington improves to 8-5.
 
The River Hawks will face Bloomfield College in Lantana, Fla. this evening at 7:30pm.
 
Led by senior second baseman James Katsiroubas (Milton, Mass.) and sophomore shortstop Geoff DeGroot (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) UMass Lowell banged out eight hits.  Katsiroubas, with a double and a triple, and DeGroot, who doubled, had two apiece.   
 
The River Hawks never led in the ball game.  Wilmington grabbed a 1-0 lead in the home half of the third with an unearned run.
 
UMass Lowell tied it in the fourth inning.  Sophomore first baseman Pat Parker (Merrimack, N. H.) started the rally with a single and came around to score on a two out double ripped down the left field line by sophomore catcher Jacob O'Keefe (Wellington, Fla.).
 
That was as close as the River Hawks would get.
 
The Wildcats struck four runs in the fifth inning on a combination of three hits, a walk, hit batsman, a sacrifice bunt, a sac fly and two errors.  Two of the four runs were earned.
 
The River Hawks narrowed the gap with a run in the eighth inning on a Katsiroubas triple to centerfield and a single to left by sophomore rightfielder Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass.) with nobody out.
 
UMass Lowell was unable to build on that and Wilmington countered with two in the bottom of the inning top make the final 7-2.
 
River Hawk junior righthander Garrett Cole (Bedford, N. H.) suffered his second loss of the season.  Cole went 4.2 innings allowing six hits and two earned runs.  He walked three and struck out one.
 
Wilmington starter Ray Gambone picked up his first win of the season.  Jordan Johnson and Frank Samluk each drove in two runs for the Wildcats as eight of the starting nine had base hits.
After Friday night's meeting with Bloomfield College, the River Hawks will stay busy.  Saturday they face Lynn University in Boca Raton and Sunday play a doubleheader against Mercy College in Fort Pierce, Florida.
 
UMass Lowell will not play at LeLacheur Park until March 27 when they host Merrimack.