Box Score (PDF) | Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman pitcher Nick Kuzia (Seymour, Conn.) struck out five over six shutout innings, helping the UMass Lowell baseball team to a 5-1 victory over LIU Brooklyn, at LeLacheur Park on Thursday night.
 
The River Hawks (15-26) put two runs on the board in the opening frame as Danny Mendick (Rochester, N.Y.) ripped an RBI double down the third base line, to score Geoff DeGroot (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), before coming in on a balk.
 
The loss dropped the Blackbirds to 16-33 overall.
 
Kuzia earned his second win while Steve Xirinachs (San Diego, Calif.) picked up his first save, tossing three innings of relief. Xirinachs surrendered the Blackbirds only run on a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth.
 
Mendick and Matthew Sanchez (Sunrise, Fla.) drew walks to leadoff the sixth before moving up on a wild pitch by LIU righty Evan Flood, setting the table for Brice Erickson (Leominster, Mass.) who plated both on a single to left. Erickson came around two batters later when the Blackbirds right fielder misplayed a single by Luke Reynolds (Manchester, N.H.).
 
The River Hawks will wrap up their 2015 season against the Blackbirds in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.