Game 1 (PDF) | Game 2 (PDF) | Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball was swept in a non-conference doubleheader by Dartmouth on Tuesday, losing 6-5 in the opener, before falling 4-2 in the nightcap at LeLacheur Park.

"Were fighting our way into games, we're giving ourselves an opportunity to win early and it just seems like were finding ways to lose late," said Head Coach Ken Harring. "That's the beauty and the cruelty of the game all in one. If you're feeling good about yourself then somebody comes up with the hit, and we did that this weekend. Today, we just didn't and there's no excuses."

The River Hawks (7-18, 3-5) struck first in opener as Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) drew a lead off walk before stealing second. Right fielder Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) reached on an error by the Dartmouth (11-19, 8-4) shortstop and successfully executed a double-steal to get in scoring position. With two outs, Ian Strom (Hopedale, Mass.) hit a two-RBI triple off the right field wall to put the River Hawks ahead by a pair after one inning of play.

The momentum carried into the second inning as Nick Barry (Grafton, Mass.) led off the inning with a single to right field before moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Noe (Lynnfield, Mass.) and reached third on an infield single by Sanchez. Once again, the River Hawks pulled off a double steal as Sanchez got caught in a run-down. While the first baseman and shortstop chased Sanchez, Barry broke for home and beat a low throw to increase the River Hawks lead to three.

Both teams would go scoreless, till the Big Green answered in the top of the fifth. Patterson led off the inning with a single up the middle off River Hawks reliever Steve Xirinachs (San Diego, Calif.). After recording an out, Dustin Shirley was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second for Purritano, who tripled in his previous at bat. Purritano took an inside pitch, and tripled down the right field line, scoring Shirley, and Patterson to give the Big Green their first lead of the ballgame 5-3. Michael Ketchmark hit a sac-fly to center field, scoring Purritano,

The River Hawks would have an answer in the bottom of the sixth inning. Noe reached on an infield single, and advanced to second on a throwing error. Sanchez was up next and walked, putting runners on first and second with one out. Adam Frank was summoned to pitch for the Big Green and on his first pitch hit Consolmagno to load the bases for the Danny Mendick (Rochester, N.Y.). Mendick singled up the middle scoring Noe, and Sanchez to trim the Big Green lead to 6-5. Chris Burkholder was brought in to pitch, and he hit Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass.) with a pitch to load the bases for the River Hawks with only one out. Burkerholder got Strom, and Luke Reynolds (Manchester, N.H.) to strike out ending the threat.

In the nightcap, the River Hawks again struck first with Strom reaching on an infield single to shortstop, before stealing second to put himself in scoring position. Brice Erickson (Leominster, Mass.) hit a RBI single to right field scoring Strom from second to give the River Hawks an early 1-0 lead.

Kelly Rooney (Upton, Mass.) started the inning with a single to right center and advanced to second on a passed ball by the Big Green catcher. Sanchez moved Rooney to third on a ground out to second before Consolmagno brought him in with an RBI ground out to shortstop to put the River Hawks up 2-0. The club wasn't satisfied and continued to threaten in the inning as Mendick hit a double to the left-center wall, and Strom reached on an error by the third basemen. Dartmouth pitcher, Chris England got out of the jam by striking out Reynolds to end the threat.
 
The Big Green got to River Hawk freshman Brendan Shea (Belmont, Mass.) in the fifth, when they chased him while scoring all four of their runs in the frame. Shea went 4.2 innings and gave up four runs on six hits while striking out a pair.

The River Hawks return to league play with a doubleheader on Saturday against UMBC before playing the Retrievers in the finale of the three game set at 1 p.m. on Sunday.