LOWELL, Mass. – A wild pitch in the ninth inning was the difference as the UMass Lowell baseball team one-hit Northeastern but fell 3-2 in non-conference action at LeLacheur Park on Tuesday night.
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The River Hawks (11-31) led 2-0 heading into the eighth frame, but saw the Huskies (19-24) plate two to force a 2-2 deadlock heading into the final inning of the night. Northeastern's lone hit came in the second on a bunt.
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Ciaran Devenney (Manalapan, N.J.) picked up two hits and scored the hosts' second run after bringing in the first score. The backstop threw out four runners on the basepaths and make a key catch against the dugout railing to end a threat.
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"It was a tough loss, anyone time you give up one hit and lose it will be tough, but on the bright side I thought David Hoar was really, really good," commented Head Coach
Ken Harring. "We had opportunities to blow the game open and we end up losing on a wild pitch, so it's obviously frustrating but we can build off of tonight heading to Hartford."
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After a scoreless three and a half innings, the hosts picked up their first two hits of the contest including Devenney's RBI single to score
Andrew Roden (Sherill, N.Y.).
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The teams combined for one hit before the River Hawks run, with UMass Lowell recording three free passes. Roden led of the fourth with a walk before
Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) singled him to third for the hosts first base knock.
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Following going down in order in the first, Â the Huskies put runners on base in the next four innings but could not get on the scoreboard.
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UMass Lowell doubled the lead in the seventh on a bases loaded single from
Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) after a walk and a pair of infield singles.
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In his first career start for the River Hawks,
David Hoar III (Peabody, Mass.) pitched five scoreless innings, scattering a bunt single and a pair of walks, but five hit batters.
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The River Hawks return to conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Hartford.