LOWELL, Mass. – Behind an impressive offensive showing the UMass Lowell baseball team knocked off UAlbany, 11-8, in the series finale at LeLacheur Park on Sunday afternoon.
 
The River Hawks (7-23, 4-5) were paced by freshman Robert Gallagher's (Mullica Hill, N.J.) four hits, four runs, two RBI and three stolen bases. Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) scored three times and drove in a pair, as well, and Steven Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) recorded three RBI. Freshman Andrew Roden (Sherill, N.Y.) connected on his first career home run.
 
"After a really tough day yesterday, I challenged our guys to play River Hawk baseball, to be blue collar and tough," remarked Head Coach Ken Harring. "Sundays are always the hardest and they came through."
 
Both teams loaded the bases in their first at bats, with UAlbany (13-13, 4-5) plating a pair on a walk and ground out. In the River Hawks' half of the inning, Passatempo sent a shot off the wall in dead center for a three-run triple to put the hosts on top, 3-2.
 
UMass Lowell opened a four-run edge in the second on RBI singles from Gallagher and Marchena, capped by a Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) sacrifice fly. Ciaran Devenney (Malanapan, N.J.) began the frame with double off the wall in right and came around on Gallagher's base knock.
 
The freshman stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, and crossed the plate with Marchena's single. After getting to third on a Michael Young (Chester, N.J.) single, Marchena recorded UMass Lowell's sixth run on Climo's fly out to center.
 
UAlbany plated three in the third to pull within one run, by Roden sent his long ball over the wall in right to extend the buffer to 7-5. The next batter, Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) walked and recorded the first of three UMass Lowell stolen bases of the inning, and scored on a Castellanos sac fly.
 
Gallagher picked up his third hit of the afternoon and stolen both second and third to score on Marchena's second run-scoring hit of the contest and push the River Hawks' lead to 9-5.
 
After the Great Danes clawed back within one with runs in the fourth and seventh, the freshman struck again in the eighth as his fourth hit brought in his second RBI, and later scored his fourth run as UMass Lowell took an 11-8 lead into the final inning.
 
Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) picked up his first career win, and Joshua Becker (Burlington, Mass.) bounced back with his third save of the season.
 
The River Hawks return to the road for a matchup in the Granite State at Dartmouth on Tuesday at 3 p.m.