Box Score (PDF) | Harring Interview

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The UMass Lowell baseball team made a furious rally in the eighth inning against William & Mary on Monday afternoon, but ultimately fell 12-8 in the series finale at Plumeri Park.
 
Held to two runs through seven innings, the River Hawks (2-5) overcame a 7-2 deficit with a six-run eighth. Their lead wouldn't last long as William & Mary scored five in the bottom half of the inning before relief pitcher Robert White shut the door on another comeback bid and helped the Tribe sweep the three game series.
 
Senior Geoff DeGroot (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) lasted one inning on the mound for the River Hawks, giving up six runs on four hits while walking three before freshman Andrew Ryan (Rochester, Mass.) came in for four shutout innings of relief. Ryan gave up a hit while striking out one.
 
The River Hawks rally started with a single to left by Danny Mendick (Rochester, N.Y.) and a single off the W&M pitcher by Matt Mottola (Newburyport, Mass.). Matt Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) moved Mendick over to third on a fly out to right center before Brice Erickson (Leominster, Mass.) brought Mendick home on a single down the right field line. Tyler Noe (Lynnfield, Mass.) dropped in a pinch-hit single to center that scored Mottola and Erickson.
 
William & Mary Head Coach Brian Murphy brought in the right-handed White to face Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.). Noe would steal second and Prada would draw a walk before Luke Reynolds (Manchester, N.H.) singled to second to load the bases. DeGroot stepped into the batters box with a chance at redemption after a shaky start on the mound and pulled the River Hawks within one, running out a dribbler to second base. Mendick hit a two-RBI single to center to give the River Hawks their first lead of the game at 8-7.
 
The Tribes Charley Gould answered in the bottom of the inning with a three-run homer to left to regain the lead off Jeffrey Peterson III (Windham, N.H.) before W&M added two more insurance runs against Tim Fallon (Huntingtown, Md.).
 
Mendick and Sanchez each extended their hitting streaks to six and have reached base in all seven of the teams games.
 
The River Hawks will be in action again this weekend when they face Fairleigh Dickinson in a three game series. The clubs will square off in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon before the third game on Sunday which is also scheduled for a noon start.