LOWELL, Mass. -- The UMass Lowell baseball team split a doubleheader against Stony Brook on Saturday afternoon at LeLacheur Park with a 4-3 win in the opener and a 9-2 setback in the nightcap.
 
The game one victory ended a five-game drought for the River Hawks, while also snapping the Seawolves' 10-0 undefeated mark in league action. With the split, UMass Lowell's record stands at 7-16 overall and 6-8 in America East, while Stony Brook moves to 15-8 overall and 11-1.

"We saw two different types of games today," commented Head Coach Ken Harring. "Collin Dufley was solid in game one, I don't think they hit a hard ball off him all day. And we overcame some mistakes, showing a lot of resiliency after a tough game two yesterday to get one back early. When you get to game four of a series its survival of the fittest, and unfortunately in game two they got to our bullpen and we didn't get to theirs."
 
Freshman Jimmy Sullivan (East Hampton, Conn.) went 5-for-7 to lead the River Hawk offense in the twin bill. Junior Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) chipped in with three hits, while junior Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) tallied two RBI. Redshirt-senior Collin Duffley (Manchester, N.H.) picked up the win in game one with three strikeouts.
 
The River Hawks showed off their defensive prowess in the top of the first and second in game one, highlighted by sophomore catcher Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) picking off two Stony Brook runners to keep the visitors off the board. UMass Lowell would break open the scoring in the home half of the second when Rose continued his strong performance from yesterday's matchups, driving a double down the left field line to score Siracusa, who had sent one to left.
 
SBU tallied one hit in each of the third and fourth innings before the home squad extended its margin to 2-0 in the fourth. In that at-bat, Sullivan stepped in with Siracusa on third and roped a liner to right, plating the center fielder.
 
The Seawolves erased the difference in the fifth, rallying for three runs on two River Hawk miscues and a RBI single to pull in front, 3-2. However, the River Hawks quickly respond in their next trip to the dish to seal the decision. With runners on second and third, Siracusa ripped a two-run double to left, plating redshirt-senior Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) and senior Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) for the 4-3 victory.
 
In the final game of the weekend against Stony Brook, the River Hawks once again scored the first run of the day. Senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) drove his first homer of the 2021 campaign over the right field scoreboard.
 
However, the visitors rallied for two runs on three hits in the second to pull ahead, 2-1. The River Hawks plated the equalizer in the home half of the second, though, when Rose singled in Siracusa for the team's final tally of the day.
 
Stony Brook was able to retake the advantage in the third on back-to-back errant pitches and a RBI single by Evan Giordano to pull in front, 4-2. The Seawolves then put runners on the corners in the top of the fifth followed by a sacrifice fly, making the score 6-2.
 
Stony Brook would add one more insurance run to their margin in the seventh and two more in the eighth en route to the 9-2 decision.
 
The River Hawks will return to action this weekend when they head to UAlbany for another four-game conference series on Saturday-Sunday, April 17-18.