Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell dropped a pair of games to the University of Hartford, 8-6 and 5-2 at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.
 
The losses drop the River Hawks to an 18-20 overall record, and 9-10 in the America East Conference. The River Hawks droops to fourth place in the conference standings.  Hartford improves to 29-17 and 15-4 in conference action.  The Hawks are a half game back of Stony Brook, the conference leader.  
 
"It wasn't our day in game one," said UMass Lowell Head Coach Ken Harring. "Game two we just didn't make some plays, unearned runs, missed some signs."
 
In game one, UMass Lowell jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead, scoring runs on a pair of singles and a sac fly. Sophomore Matt Mottola (Newburyport, Mass.) drove in the first run of the game on a sac fly to centerfield, scoring junior Luke Reynolds (Manchester, N.H.). Junior Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) knocked a single past the shortstop to score freshman Ian Strom (Hopedale, Mass.) with the second run. An RBI single by junior Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass.) gave the River Hawks their third run.
 
The early advantage didn't last.  Hartford's bats came alive the second time through the batting order. With two outs and two on in the fourth inning, Hawks' first baseman Brady Sheetz knocked in a pair on a double to right field to cut the lead to 3-2.
 
The Hawks took the lead with four runs in the fifth. The River Hawks would get one back on a single by Strom in the home half of the fifth. Hartford grabbed a commanding 8-4 lead with back-to-back doubles in the sixth. Their one-two-three hitters in the lineup went a combined 7-for-13 and scored five runs.
 
The River Hawks tried staging a comeback in the seventh; junior Kelly Rooney (Upton, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to start things, Reynolds tripled to left and Strom hit a Sac Fly to cut the deficit to two, 8-6. Hartford's Jeremy Charles closed the door in the ninth and picked up his third save of the season.          
 
In what is likely his final LeLacheur Park appearance River Hawks senior pitcher Shane Beauchmin (Manchester, N.H.) threw 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, while striking out three. Beauchmin fell to 3-5 on the season. Hartford's ace Sean Newcomb settled down after the first inning going six strong to earn the victory and improve to 6-2 on the season. Newcomb gave up seven hits and four earned runs.
All eight Hartford's runs came with two outs.
 
The score was different but game two produced the same result for the River Hawks. Seven different Hartford batters got a hit and took advantage of three River Hawks miscues.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the second, UMass Lowell junior Jacob O'Keefe (Wellington, Fla.) smashed an RBI single to tie the game at one. The inning however was cut short when Sanchez was thrown out at third trying to advance on the play. The River Hawks managed to grab the lead in the third, when Rooney scooted home on a wild pitch.
 
Hartford tied the game in the fifth on a throwing error by Rooney. The River Hawks third error of the game again proved costly as the Hawks grabbed a 3-2. They would put the exclamation point on the day when Ryan Lukach crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for a two run homer in the seventh.
 
UMass Lowell starter senior Mike Calzetta (Lawrence, Mass.) pitched all seven innings, allowing just five runs, two earned on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts and falls to 4-2.
 
The Hawk's Brian Hunter pitched the distance and improved to 4-6 on the season.
 
"We will be out ready to play on senior day, (tomorrow) I promise you," said Harring.   
 
The River Hawks look to savage a game tomorrow on senior day, first pitched set for 12:00 p.m. at LeLacheur Park.