BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU, ranked 22nd in the country, roughed up UMass Lowell pitching for the second day in a row, Saturday, as they took the middle game of the three game series, 12-2, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The loss was the fourth in a row for UMass Lowell whose record falls to 4-8.  LSU, an SEC member, is 10-5.  The River Hawks are 0-10, all-time, against teams representing the SEC.  LSU is 11-3 against teams from America East.

"That's a very good team that we were facing and we didn't take care of the details and they know how to take advantage," said UMass Lowell Baseball Head Coach Ken Harring.  "We've got to do the little things, we've got to communicate and we've got to execute better defensively and offensively."

LSU broke open a close game with two runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth.  What had been a one-run game was suddenly an eight run River Hawk deficit.

After the home team had built a 3-0 lead after two turns with the bat, the River Hawks had chipped away with a run in the third inning on a two-out RBI double by junior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.)  It was Martin's second hit of the ball game.  He was the only UMass Lowell player to have a multi-hit game.  Those two hits were half the River Hawk total for the day.  Martin's batting average continues to climb, now residing at the .459 mark.  

UMass Lowell narrowed the score further in the fourth.  A sophomore Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) double and two walks loaded the bases with nobody out.  A sacrifice fly brought a run in and the Tiger's lead was down to one, 3-2, but River Hawk scoring was finished, not just for the inning but for the day.

"LSU did a really good job minimizing the damage," according to Harring.  "We need to put up some crooked numbers.  We had some opportunities to do so, but haven't this weekend."

Flying a little bit under the radar Siracusa continues to hit the ball hard on a regular basis.  He had a double and a well hit ball that was tracked down in right field.  The sophomore's average is sitting at .317.

"He attacks the fastball early in the count," according to Harring.  "He manages at bats well, he gets to the pitcher before they get to two strikes.  He's been huge for us, he's had big at bats."

LSU upped their lead to 5-2 in the fourth.  A two-out single brought two men across the plate.  

It was in the fifth inning that the verdict was delivered.  The Tigers sent ten men to the plate and five runs scored on three-hits, two-walks and three-errors.  It was 10-2.  LSU added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings.

Five River Hawk pitchers went to the mound in the ball game and all five allowed at least one run.  Starter grad student Colin Duffley (Manchester, N.H.) took the loss working two innings and allowing four-hits, four-walks and three earned runs.

The bright spot out of the bullpen was freshman right hander Frankie Venezia (Lyndhurst, N.J.)  He worked two and two-third innings allowing just one unearned run on three hits while striking out six.  It was his strongest showing of the year.

"He used his breaking ball very well to get strikes," said Harring.  "The moment doesn't bother him.  He's got a chance to be really good."

In addition to Martin and Siracusa freshman Keagan Calero (Rochester, N.H.) had a base hit and a run scored.

UMass Lowell and LSU wrap up the three-game series Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.  Sophomore Matt Draper (Lowell, Mass.), coming off a strong six-inning, one earned run outing against Delaware, is expected to go to the mound for the visitors.  He'll be opposed by Tiger righty A.J. Labas.