Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y. (April 22, 2014) – UMass Lowell baseball scored six runs in the first two innings and went on to defeat Marist College, 8-5, Tuesday afternoon at McCann Field in Poughkeepsie.
 
"That was a good midweek win to keep our momentum going as we head toward an important weekend series," said UMass Lowell Head Coach Ken Harring.  "We want to make some noise toward the top of the standings."
 
The win, a non-conference affair, was the third in a row for the River Hawks who improve to 13-15 overall; they are 5-6 in America East Conference play. Marist, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, drops to 12-24 / 5-7.
 
Junior Danny Mendick (Rochester, N. Y.) paced the offense with three hits, a walk and four runs scored.  The shortstop raised his average to .330.
 
"(Mendick) had some real good at bats," said Harring.  "He has a good knowledge of the strike zone and made some real good adjustments."
 
The River Hawks put a crooked number up in light the first turn with the bat and it came after two were out. 
 
"That was a good way to come out of the box after a four hour bus ride and limited batting practice," said Harring.
 
Mendick started the uprising with a hard single to left and sophomore Matt Mottola (Newburyport, Mass.) followed with an infield single.  A double steal moved both up a base and junior Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass.) drove them home with a two run single to center.
 
The Ricoy at bat was a battle, a key at bat around which games often revolve.  The hit came on the tenth pitch in the sequence.  He had fouled off five pitches with two strikes.
 
"That was a great at bat, he ended up flicking the ball up the middle" said Harring.  "He's getting locked in, he understands how guys are trying to pitch him."
 
Ricoy scored moment later when what should have been the third out of the inning was turned into a two-base error.
 
UMass Lowell added three more in the second inning.  The stage was set when junior Kelly Rooney (Upton, Mass.) walked and freshman Ian Strom (Hopedale, Mass.) was hit by a pitch with one out.  Sophomore Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) followed with a single through the right side of the infield to score Rooney.  Mendick's second hit of the day brought Strom in and wild pitch later brought in the third run of the inning, 6-0.
 
The River Hawks added a run in the seventh after the home team had chipped away reducing the lead to three runs.  Mendick worked a walk to open the inning, moved to third on a Mottola single and scored on a Ricoy sacrifice fly.  It was 7-3 and UMass Lowell had regained the momentum.
 
The Red Foxes were not ready to fold and narrowed the score again pushing two runs across in the eighth inning, but the River Hawks responded with a run in the ninth.  Again Mendick was the catalyst.  He opened with his third hit of the day, a bouncing ball single through the left side.  He eventually scored on a two-out single by junior Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise Fla.)
 
It was 8-5 with three outs to get and that was not a problem.  Senior Nick Boutoures (Wilmington, Mass.) who'd come in to get the final out of the eighth inning closed out the ball game without incident.  For Boutoures, the save was his third of the year.
 
The win went to senior Garrett Cole (Bedford, N. H.), the second of six UMass Lowell pitchers.  It was his second win of the year against one loss.  Cole worked three innings allowing no runs and just one hit.
 
"He threw strike," said Harring.  "He got the game under control."
 
UMass Lowell will be back in action this weekend for a three   game series at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  The two teams will play a doubleheader ion Saturday and wrap up the series with a single game on Sunday.