LOWELL, Mass. -- The UMass Lowell River Hawks and UAlbany Great Danes each came away victors on Sunday afternoon as the two teams battled to a doubleheader split at LeLacheur Park.
 
The River Hawks faced a closely-contested 4-3 setback in the opener, before gritting out a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.
 
Sophomore Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) went 3-for-5 at the plate (.600), while logging a team-best 1.000 slugging percentage. Senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) added two RBI on the day, while sophomore Keagan Calero (Rochester, N.H.) and freshman Roddy Hernandez (Jersey City, N.J.) both batted .500 to help the offense. Redshirt-senior Collin Duffley (Manchester, N.H.) was saddled with the loss in game one, while sophomore Joshua Becker (Burlington, Mass.) picked up the win on five innings of work and six strikeouts.
 
The game unfolded as a pitcher's duel between the team's respective aces. Duffley registered his first three strikeouts by the second frame, en route to his six total on the day.  
 
Neither team threatened until the bottom of the second. Rookie Jimmy Sullivan (East Hampton, Conn.) sent a two-bagger down the third base line and Proto followed suit with a single through the left side to put two River Hawks on board with no outs. Lowell collected on their next two chances at the plate as sophomore Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) capitalized on a defensive miscue and Hernandez tallied his first free base, sending in Sullivan and Proto for their respective RBI. Rose would follow soon after on a sacrifice fly from junior Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) to put the home team on top, 3-0.
 
Duffley preserved his squad's slight edge in the top of the third, retiring the Great Danes in order to keep them off the board. However, the visitors would pull together in the fourth to knot the score at three on a RBI single and sac fly before adding their insurance run in the fifth to pull ahead, 4-3.
 
The River Hawks made noise in their last trip to the plate, with Proto making his way to third with the help of his first career triple, but would be held by the Great Dane defense to seal the decision.
 
In game two, Becker and the River Hawk defense made quick work of the Great Danes during their first two chances. Sullivan opened up the home hits in the second on a shot up the middle followed by a walk from Proto, however the UAlbany defense was quick to stifle the advance ending the inning on a 5-4-3 stoppage.
 
Coming alive in the bottom of the third, UMass Lowell would put together a four-run three-hit inning to break open the scoring. Rose led off with walk followed by a Hernandez bunt to force an errant throw over the head of the Great Danes first baseman, putting the two in prime position. The top of the River Hawk order, consisting of Gallagher, Calero and Martin would string together back-to-back RBI singles for the three-run buffer. Deepening the deficit, redshirt-senior Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) closed out the rally on a sacrifice fly for the 4-0 River Hawk advantage.
 
Carrying the momentum to the bottom of the fifth, the River Hawks extended their margin on RBI singles off the bats of senior Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) and Hernandez for a six-run buffer. However, after a slight lightning delay, the Great Danes mustered up their energy and strung together a five-run four-hit sixth inning to pull within one, 6-5.
 
Following a free base and stolen second from Calero to begin the bottom of the sixth, Martin would tally his final hit of the day, sending this one up the middle and over the arms of a reaching Great Dane second baseman to rope in Calero for the two-run advantage. Although, the visitors would quickly chip away in the seventh, sending one long off the right field wall in their first at-bat.
 
The UMass Lowell defense shined from there, extinguishing the Great Danes in order through the eighth and ninth. Calero would make the final cut, tagging up on a grounder at second and firing to Castellanos for the 6-3 double play and 7-6 victory.
 
Closing out the regular season, the River Hawks will take on the Hawks next weekend at LeLacheur Park (5.21-5.22). First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. on Friday afternoon.