Box Score (PDF)
CATONSVILLE, Md. -- An eighth-inning run was the difference, as the UMass Lowell (9-10, 0-3) baseball team dropped its third consecutive game to the UMBC Retrievers (10-10, 4-1), 4-3, on Sunday afternoon.
For the second time in the series, the Retrievers struck first on a two-run homer off the bat of Hunter Dolshun in the first inning. The score stayed the same until the River Hawks scored three times in the fourth inning.
Ian Strom (Hopedale, Mass.) led off the fourth inning with a single, and stole second, leading to
Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) tying the game on a home run to center field.
Zack Tower (Auburn, Mass.) and
Russ Olive (Chelmsford, Mass.) kept the frame alive with a walk and single, respectively, before
Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) singled home Tower to give UMass Lowell a 3-2 lead.
Passatempo has hit six home runs this season, last year's UMass Lowell team had six all season.
Nick Kuzia (Seymour, Conn.) settled down after the first, allowing two runs on three hits through five and 2/3 innings, but UMBC was able to knot the score at 3-3 off an insde the park home run from Jamie Switalski in the sixth. Switalski added to his heroics, singling home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for the 4-3 advantage.
Dennis Miskush picked up his first win of the season for the hosts, while Kuzia struck out three in seven 2/3 in the losing effort. Jonny Dierks pitched a perfect ninth to record his second save.
Passatempo led the River Hawks with two hits, while Dolshun, Switalski and Gatto all had two hits for the Retrievers. Gatto also accounted for two of Kuzia's stirkeouts.
UMass Lowell is back in action on Tuesday, March 29 with an afternoon matinee on the road at Marist. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
