Box Score

UMass Lowell fell 3-2 at Albany in the final game of the weekend series with the Great Danes Sunday afternoon, at Varsity Field in Albany, N.Y.

The River Hawks drop to 9-10 overall and 3-2 in America East, while Albany improves to 6-16, 4-5 in conference play.

The Great Danes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after D.J. Hoagboon led off with a triple and later scored on a sac fly by Brian Bullard. Albany would get its second run of the inning when Alex Lushkevich hit an RBI single down the right line.   

"It was a good ball game where runs were hard to come by," said head coach Ken Harring.  "Lavoie settled down after the first inning and kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win."    

UMass Lowell starter Christian Lavoie (Hopkinton, Mass.) went 6.2 innings, allowing just the two runs, struck out four, walked one and allowed eight hits on the day.  

The River Hawks managed just four hits in the first five innings off Albany starter Kevin Archbold. In the top of the sixth junior Danny Mendick (Rochester, N.Y.) knocked in juniors Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass.) and Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) with a two-run single to notch the score 2-2.

Archbold would earn a no decision for the Great Danes. He pitched six innings, gave up seven hits, while striking out seven and allowing just two runs.      

The Great Danes scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth after Alex Lushkevich walked, advanced to second on a sac bunt and scored after two wild pitches by freshman Steve Xirinachs (San Diego, Calif.). Xirinach took the loss and fell to 1-1 on the season.

 Albany reliever Steve Woods earned the win pitching the final three innings giving up a lone hit. Wood is now 1-2 on the season.     
 
"We just couldn't get over the hump of the early two run deficit." said Harring.  "Progress is being made each week."

UMass Lowell returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Fairfield, Conn. to take on Fairfield University at 3:00 p.m. at Alumni Baseball Diamond.