WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Trailing 6-2 entering the seventh, the UMass Lowell baseball team completed the comeback and defeated Hartford, 7-6, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) delivered the clutch hit in the eighth inning to score
Mark Tumosa (Willington, Conn.) and give the River Hawks (18-22, 9-9) their first and only lead of the contest.
With one out in the eighth, Tumosa doubled and Climo wasted no time in putting the visitors on top to stay.
David Hoar III (Peabody, Mass.) picked up his first win of the season, and
Luke Tomczyk (Chili, N.Y.) earned his fourth save.
Five UMass Lowell batters recorded two hits, and
Colby Maiola (North Reading, Mass.) drove in three courtesy of his three-run home run in the four-run seventh inning.
The Hawks (16-25 10-5) only put one run on the board in the second after loading the bases with no out, and
Jack Riley (Worcester, Mass.) managed to erase the next three batters.
UMass Lowell remained down by a run until the fifth inning when Climo doubled to lead off and
Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) singled to drive the sophomore in.
As they were all series, the Hawks were ready to answer as the hosts put up four runs in the bottom half, including a solo home run by Nick Campana.
Maiola and
Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.) combined to bring the River Hawks within three as the senior tripled to lead off the sixth and Prada added a sacrifice fly.
After Hartford put up a single run to go up 6-2, UMass Lowell put up four in the seventh to draw even. With one out in the frame,
Michael Young (Chester, N.J.) and Castellanos singled before
Kyle Maurice (Exeter, N.H.) picked up a pinch-hit RBI base knock.
The next batter, Maiola, stepped up to the plate and with one swing of the bat erased the deficit and the teams were back even.
The River Hawks open May with a contest at Northeastern at 3 p.m. on the first of the month.