Box Score (PDF) | Harring Interview

AMHERST, Mass. – Freshman Connor Metelski (Wall Township, N.J.) picked up his first career win in his first start as he struck out five over five shutout innings, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (16-12) blanked the Massachusetts Minutemen (7-18), 6-0, for its third straight win on Wednesday afternoon.

"Connor threw the ball really well, and all our pitchers did a really good job today," remarked Head Coach Ken Harring. "They all get a head of hitters and it was nice to see guys get some action, but Metelski set the tone early on. We didn't swing the bats well today as we did yesterday, but that's baseball and we took care of opportunities and the mistakes they made. It was just one of those days where we didn't get a lot of hits, but we took advantage when we needed to."
 
For the third straight game the River Hawks scored first, as Chris Sharpe (Burlington, Mass.) scampered home when Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) got caught in an intentional rundown in the top of the first.
 
The guests added three more runs in the top of the third before recording their first hit of the game, behind Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.) and Sharpe working back-to-back walks to begin the frame. Marchena laid down a sacrifice bunt, and as the ball was thrown away Prada came around to score. Sharpe added the third UMass Lowell run on a wild pitch, and Colby Maiola (North Reading, Mass.) extended the buffer to 4-0 with a RBI groundout.
 
The Minutemen threatened in the top of the fourth with the first two runners reaching, but Metelski escaped the jam and struck out the next three batters.
 
Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) added the fifth River Hawk run in the fifth inning on a double down the left field line to score Sharpe, who had reached on his conference-leading 14th double. The center fielder added his second two-bagger of the afternoon, and number 15 on the season, to open up a 6-0 advantage in the ninth as John Polichetti (Atkinson, N.H.) crossed the plate.
 
Matt O'Connor (Malden, Mass.) made his UMass Lowell debut and pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth. The freshman, Kendall Pomeroy (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Matt Kerin (Quincy, Mass.) and Jeffrey Peterson III (Windham, N.H.) combined to complete the shutout.
 
Along with his two doubles, Sharpe scored three times and his two hits were tied for the team high, matching Austin Young (Millbury, Mass.).
 
Eddie Hart was the only Massachusetts hitter that had success against River Hawk pitching, going 3-for-4.  

The River Hawks welcome Stony Brook to LeLacheur Park for a three-game series over the holiday weekend, with the doubleheader starting on Friday at 12 p.m.