LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (14-18, 7-7 AE) came from behind late to beat the Hartford Hawks (4-24, 3-11 AE) by a score of 7-6 in extra innings on Saturday afternoon.
 
"We weathered the storm. You play enough games in a season, you're going to have games like this where it doesn't go as planned," said head coach Ken Harring. "It didn't go as planned for either team, but again, any time you win in this league against a conference opponent, it's a great win."
 
Sophomore Roddy Hernandez (Jersey City, N.J.) led the team with four hits, two runs and one RBI in five at-bats. Senior Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) and freshman Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.)  added two hits each. Siracusa had a team-high three RBIs on the afternoon.
 
On the mound, graduate student Ryan Towle (Westfield, Mass.) threw 7.0 innings, striking out four and allowing just two earned runs. Senior Sal Fusco (Colonie, N.Y.) earned the win, throwing 2.1 innings, striking out one and allowing one hit.
 
The Hawks opened the game with a leadoff double and got on the board after a sacrifice fly. A solo home run doubled the lead for the visitors after the first inning. Ryan Towle ended the second inning with his second strikeout of the afternoon, keeping the River Hawks within two.
 
Junior Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) extended his hit streak to 18 games with a base hit in the second inning. UMass Lowell got on the board in the third inning after sophomore Fritz Genther (Kingston, N.Y.) scored on a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 2-1. Gerry Siracusa's solo shot to left in the fourth inning tied the game at two.
 
The hosts took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after freshman Jacob Humphrey (Standish, ME.) doubled down the right field line to bring in Hernandez, giving the River Hawks a slight 3-2 edge. They extended the lead to 4-2 in the seventh after Hernandez scored on a fielder's choice. Siracusa then singled to left to bring in freshman Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) to push the lead to 5-2.
 
Hartford battled back in the eighth, scoring four runs to take a 6-5 lead. Sal Fusco entered the game in relief of sophomore Michael Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) and picked up a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning. The River Hawks answered in the bottom of eighth, tying the game on a single to left from Hernandez that brought junior Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) to tie the game.
 
Fusco continued to pitch well in the ninth, retiring the side in a 1-2-3 inning. Neither side could take the lead in the ninth inning, sending the game to extra innings. Despite allowing a one-out double, Fusco escaped the top of the tenth with the game still tied. Freshman Conor Kelly Hopkinton, Mass.) was walked with one out to get a runner on for UMass Lowell. Humphrey was walked and senior Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Siracusa was then hit by a pitch which scored Kelly, giving the River Hawks the 7-6 win.
 
The series finale will be played on Sunday, April 17 at LeLacheur Park. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.