FORT MYERS, Fla. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (0-6, 0-0 AE) led late in the game, but ultimately fell to the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (7-1, 0-0 ASUN) in the series finale on Sunday morning.
 
Graduate student Matt Draper (Lowell, Mass.) had a great outing for the River Hawks. The veteran threw 7.0 innings with five strikeouts and three earned runs. Sophomores Jacob Humphrey (Standish, ME.) and Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.), senior Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) and graduate student Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) each recorded two hits on Sunday. Sophomore Jake Fitzgibbons (Franklin, Mass.) tallied two RBIs and one run. Kelly, Humphrey and sophomore Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) each had an RBI.
 
"[Matt] Draper was really good today, we just ran out of steam," said head coach Ken Harring. "We have made strides from last week and I look forward to seeing us back on the field next weekend."
 
The Eagles took the lead in the first inning behind a two-out RBI single, but Matt Draper ended the frame with his first strikeout of the afternoon. After Fritz Genther drew a walk in the second, a base hit from Conor Kelly scored the junior and tied the game. The River Hawks took a 2-1 lead thanks to a sacrifice from Brandon Fish that scored Robert Gallagher. Draper ended back-to-back innings with a strikeout as the game moved the fourth.
 
Back-to-back walks to start the fourth put runners on for Jake Fitzgibbons with a chance to extend the lead. The sophomore doubled to left field and brought in Brown and Kelly to push the advantage to 4-1. Jacob Humphrey's base hit scored Fitzgibbons, giving the River Hawks a 5-1 lead. Matt Draper threw a 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning to keep the visitors ahead.
 
Florida Gulf Coast battled back in the fifth, scoring two runs after three straight base hits loaded the bases. Another single and a hit by pitch brought in two runs for the Eagles. Draper was a rock for the River Hawks all game and settled himself before striking out back-to-back hitters to end the frame. UMass Lowell tallied two more hits and drew a walk in the sixth but could not add to the lead. Jacob Humphrey and Conor Kelly made great defensive plays in the sixth and seventh innings to preserve the lead late in the game.
 
Junior Brendan Williams (Auburn, N.Y.) came in relief of Draper who had a terrific outing through 7.0 innings. A solo home run and back-to-back doubles brought the Eagles level before a wild pitch gave the hosts the lead before freshman Michael Simes (Rutland, Mass.) entered the game to replace Williams. A base hit gave FGCU a two-run lead heading into the final frame. Gerry Siracusa hit a leadoff single in the ninth, but the River Hawks could not find a way back and fell 7-5 in game three.
 
Next up for the River Hawks is a three-game series at James Madison next weekend. Game one is slated for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 3 in Harrisonburg, Virginia.