LOWELL, Mass.—The UMass Lowell baseball team (6-13, 5-5 AE) dropped the final pair of games in its weekend series against America East opponent NJIT (5-12, 5-7 AE), falling 7-3 and 9-5 on Saturday afternoon at LeLacheur Park.
"We just didn't play good baseball, simple as that. I tip my cap to NJIT, they had hits all over the field all weekend. Not many real loud ones, but they made the loud ones when it mattered," said Head Coach
Ken Harring. "I didn't think we were ready. After game one, I thought we played one of our best games of the year. Then, the last three, NJIT had all the energy, they kept the momentum on their side."
After NJIT scored off a sacrifice bunt in the top of the first of game one, junior
Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) kicked things off for the River Hawks in the second, bringing in redshirt-senior
Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) off a RBI single to lock things up before crossing home himself on a double to right field by sophomore catcher
Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.).
A pair of runs by the Highlanders in the third swung the momentum back in favor of NJIT, but another RBI single from Siracusa forced a 3-3 stalemate heading into the fourth.
From there, the Highlanders would score four additional runs to close out game one with a 7-3 win.
Right-handed pitcher
Collin Duffley (Manchester, N.H.) suffered the loss for the River Hawks after pitching 4.0 innings and doling out a pair of strikeouts. Junior right-handed pitcher
Sal Fusco (Colonie, N.Y.) relieved Duffley in the fifth, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing two runs on 12 batters faced.
Highlander pitcher Tyler Stafflinger earned the win in game one, pitching 5.0 innings. Jake Rappaport then closed out the game for NJIT, earning the save after pitching 2.0 innings and allowing just one run.
The Highlanders came out swinging in game two, scoring four runs off a RBI single from catcher Paul Franzoni and back-to-back miscues by the River Hawks in the top of first.
NJIT added another pair of runs in the fourth and a single in the fifth, while keeping the River Hawks scoreless to push the lead to 7-0. UMass Lowell finally broke its scoring drought in the home half of the fifth, as junior
Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) dropped in a long ball to right field to plate sophomore
Keagan Calero (Rochester, N.H.) and Proto, cutting NJIT's margin to 7-2 heading into the back half of the game.
After keeping the Highlanders scoreless through the sixth and seventh, the River Hawks threatened a comeback with a pair of runs. After Siracusa roped a triple to right field, sophomore
Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) scored the center fielder on a shot to left. Sophomore
Nick Marola (Scotia, N.Y.) then closed out the inning for the River Hawks with a double down the right field line to bring Calero home and close in on the Highlanders.
Strong River Hawks fielding in the top of the eighth held the score at 7-4 in favor of NJIT, with senior right-handed pitcher
Henry Funaro (Lowell, Mass.) allowing just one hit. With the bases loaded and just one out on the board, Proto smacked a high fly into left to scratch across Climo.
The Highlanders added a pair of runs to extend their buffer to 9-5 in their final at-bat, before shutting down three straight River Hawk batters to seal the decision.
For UMass Lowell, starting senior right-handed pitcher
Ryan Towle (Westfield, Mass.) was dealt the loss, pitching 4.0 innings and picking up a strikeout.
NJIT pitcher Jared Kacso earned the win for the Highlanders in game two, allowing just three hits on 22 batters faced. Rappaport also earned his second save of the day for his fourth of the season.
The River Hawks are back at home next weekend, April 10-11, to host Stony Brook for a four-game series at LeLacheur Park. First pitch for game one of both doubleheaders is set for 12 p.m.
