LOWELL, Mass. – River Hawk bats and balanced defense lifted the UMass Lowell baseball team to a series win over conference Division A front-runner, Maine, on Saturday afternoon at LeLacheur Park.
 
The River Hawks took the opening game of the doubleheader, 2-1, and scored seven unanswered in game two to take the series finale, 9-5.

"We knew we were in for a battle today," commented Head Coach Ken Harring. "I thought the tone was set early with Miles Cota going out there and throwing strikes. In game two, we really swung the bats well up and down the lineup. Gerry Siracusa continues to pace us, and Bobby Gallagher has been getting on base at a great clip. When we can pitch, play defense and get timely hits, that's what it takes."
 
Leading the offense, junior Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) went 4-for-7 (1.286) at the plate with a triple and his second homer of the season, including a team-best four RBI. Three other River Hawks tallied a long ball on the day, including Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.), Jimmy Sullivan (East Hampton, Conn.) and Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.).
 
Sophomore Miles Cota (Hampstead, N.C.) and junior Sal Fusco (Colonie, N.Y.) got to work on the mound in game one, with neither of them letting up a single walk. Cota picked up his first career start, striking out four, while Fusco held the Black Bears scoreless over the final three innings and fanned a pair. Junior Joshua Becker (Burlington, Mass.) went the distance in game two to move to 2-3 on the year. He picked up the win in six innings, allowing just one run on four hits and struck out four against a potent Black Bear lineup.
 
The game started as a defensive stalemate, going three-up and three-down in the first before the Black Bears got on the board in the top of the second with a RBI base hit to right field.
 
The one-run margin remained intact for almost three complete innings until a Siracusa bunt drew a miscue from the Maine catcher, giving senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) the chance to touch home and erase the one-run difference. Fusco then retired the Black Bear side in order in the top of the seventh, giving his squad the momentum to complete the comeback. In UMass Lowell's final at-bat, rookie Roddy Hernandez (Jersey City, N.J.) stepped to the plate with bases loaded and lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring sophomore Jonny Gilbride (Beverly, Mass.) and giving his squad the 2-1 win.
 
In game two, the Black Bears were able to break open the scoring, yet again, thanks to a home run by Sean Lawlor in the top of the first. The difference was short-lived, though, as Siracusa put up an RBI single in the home half of the first before the River Hawks put together a three-run rally in the second, stretching the lead to 4-1. Martin played a role in two of those of those runs, knocking in Hernandez on a double and scoring after another Siracusa RBI, while sophomore Jiovel Lantigua (Spring Hill, Fla.) also added a RBI in the inning.
 
Not stopping there, the River Hawks would add two more in the bottom of the third and fourth after bull's eyes from both Sullivan and Gallagher for a 6-1 lead. Sullivan sending one over the right field wall for his first career dinger, while Gallagher ripped one down the line for his second tally in a River Hawk uniform.
 
The bottom of the sixth would see the home squad extend their advantage after Siracusa continued his hot-hitting with a two-run home run into left center, bringing home Gallagher, who sent a double to center. However, the Black Bears would threaten in their next at-bat after an error in the outfield led to the visitors plating three and trimming the gap, 8-4.    
 
Rose concluded the string of grand slams with his shot taking off into left to start the bottom of the seventh. Followed by the River Hawk defense holding steady over the next two innings, as junior Matt Draper (Lowell, Mass.) shut down the Black Bears, leaving two on base and striking out two others to seal the 9-4 decision.
 
The River Hawks will look to take their momentum out on the road next weekend as they matchup against Hartford at Fiondella Field on May 1 & 2. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

"We're certainly happy with the weekend" exclaimed Harring. "But we also know that we have a big one coming up next and we need to continue to keep working hard at it."