BROOKLINE, Mass. – Senior Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) delivered a seventh inning grand slam to give UMass Lowell a lead they would not relinquish as they picked up their first win of the season, 10-7, before being stymied in game two, 2-0, against the Northeastern Huskies Friday afternoon at Friedman Diamond.
 
After combining for 17 runs on 17 hits in the first game, the two teams tallied just five hits in the second, with Northeastern capitalizing on three second inning walks to score a pair of runs without a hit for what would hold as a 2-0 final.

"It was great to get our first win of the season today against a very good Northeastern team," commented head coach Ken Harring. "We got some big hits from Cam Climo and Joey Castellanos. Henry Funaro was phenomenal out of the bullpen to get the safe, and Miles Cota put in a good effort on the mound. In game two, we ran up against a buzz saw in a dominant Sebastian Keane. We look forward to tomorrow for the opportunity to win our first series."

Scoring was plentiful in the day's first game, with three lead changes in a back-and-forth affair. After Northeastern jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, the River Hawks responded with a pair in the top half of the second. Climo got things started with a lead-off walk, scoring on a double by sophomore Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.). A two-out triple by sophomore Jonny Gilbride (Beverly, Mass.) put UMass Lowell up, 2-1.

The River Hawks would extend the lead in the fourth on another run-scoring double by Proto, but Northeastern would answer with two in the bottom half of the frame, tying the score at three.

The Huskies would re-take the lead in the fifth, chasing River Hawks starter Collin Duffley (Manchester, N.H.) after back-to-back singles. After junior Sal Fusco (Colonie, N.Y.) hit the first batter he faced to load the bases, Northeastern scored four on big hits from Scott Holzwasser and Danny Crossen, before Fusco escaped the inning with the score 7-3.
 
That's where things remained into the seventh when Gilbride reached on a one-out error. The next three River Hawks would touch base, including a bases loaded walk by senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.). With two down, Climo took the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to put the River Hawks ahead for good, 8-7. A two-run triple by senior Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) in the ninth gave the River Hawks the 10-7 win.
 
In the second game, the River Hawks were limited to just two hits by Martin offensively, as the Huskies' Sebastian Keane went the distance, striking out nine to earn the win.

Freshman Michael Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) (1-0) made his collegiate debut in game one, dancing around a pair of walks in a scoreless inning to pick up the win. Senior Henry Funaro (Lowell, Mass.) closed the door on the Huskies with three hitless innings, striking out four, to earn the save.
 
Freshman Zach Fortuna (Newburyport, Mass.) (0-1) struggled with his command to start game two. He was charged with both runs on one hit and four walks, striking out three. Sophomore Miles Cota (Hampstead, N.C.) allowed both inherited runners to score, but settled in to keep the River Hawks in the game, pitching 5.2 scoreless, allowing two hits and walking four. He struck out one.
 
The two teams meet again Saturday for a 1 p.m. start to close out the series.