LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team dropped a 5-0 decision to Hartford in America East action on Friday night at LeLacheur Park.
 
The River Hawks (5-18, 2-2) picked up the game's first hit on a double to dead center field by Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) in the second, but would be shut down until Ted Leathersich's (Beverly, Mass.) two-bagger in the sixth.

"Obviously Dombkowski was really good and got ahead of hitters and had all three of his pitches working," noted Head Coach Ken Harring. "He carved us up from the beginning, and Hartford played really well. It's a three-game series and I thought our pitches played really well, but that's baseball. I promise we'll bounce back and be ready to go tomorrow."
 
Neither team could crack the scoreless tie until a sacrifice fly for the Hawks (7-12, 3-1) pushed across the first run. Hartford threatened in the third with having two runners in scoring position twice, but a play at the plate and a grounder to first kept the deadlock intact for the time being.
 
The visitors added a pair of insurance runs with two outs in the sixth on a RBI single and a steal of the plate when the runner at first darted for second, as well.
 
Nicholas Dombkowski pitched seven shutout innings to keep the UMass Lowell lineup at bay, striking out 11 batters.
 
The River Hawks' last best chance came in the eighth inning when the hosts loaded the bases with one out but could not break onto the board.
 
Both teams meet back on the diamond for a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.