Box Score (PDF) | Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team had the opportunities, but was unable to deliver the clutch hit needed to put them ahead, as they were edged by Brown, 5-3, at LeLacheur Park on Tuesday night.
 
The River Hawks (9-20, 5-6 America East) wrapped up a nine-game homestand by drawing 11 walks but stranding 13 batters against the Bears (9-26, 4-12 Ivy) while failing to pick up a hit with two outs in eight attempts.
 
Freshman starter Nick Kuzia (Seymour, Conn.) settled in after giving up a run in the first inning and totaled five innings of work, giving up three hits and one earned run.
 
After being shutout through four innings and trailing by two, the River Hawks got to Brown starter Will Marcal in the fifth when Geoff DeGroot (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) and Tyler Noe (Lynnfield, Mass.) drew back-to-back walks with one out. Marcal was replaced by Jake Spezial who gave up a single to Danny Mendick (Rochester, N.Y.) and a walk to Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) with the bases loaded to put the River Hawks on the board. Next, Luke Reynolds (Manchester, N.H.) hit a sacrifice fly to right to plate Noe and knot the game at two.
 
The River Hawks would take their first and only lead in the next frame after loading the bases courtesy of two walks and a bunt single by Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.). A check-swing by DeGroot stayed in play and resulted in a 1-2-3 double play with Zack Tower (Auburn, Mass.) coming around from second.
 
Steve Xirinachs (San Diego, Calif.) entered the game for Jeffrey Peterson (Windham, N.H.) in the seventh with runners on second and third and one out. Xirinachs got Sam Grigo to strikeout looking before Mark Sluys delivered a two RBI single up the middle to put Brown ahead 4-3 before they would add an insurance run in the ninth.
 
With two outs in the bottom half of the seventh, the River Hawks once again loaded the bases but came up empty as Consolmagno flied out to the Brown third baseman after working the count full.
 
The River Hawks travel south to take on Connecticut tomorrow at 2 p.m. at J.O. Christian Field.