LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (19-33, 11-13 AE) took down the Binghamton Bearcats (26-21, 12-12 AE) by a final score of 14-13 on Saturday afternoon in a thrilling America East regular season finale.
 
Several River Hawks had great days at the plate, highlighted by sophomore Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) going 5-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Senior Trey Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) had a pair of home runs for five RBIs and scored two runs. Sophomore Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) and graduate student Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) each tallied three hits and combined for three RBIs.
 
Graduate student Shane Bogli (Vernon, Conn.) earned the win to improve to 1-1 with a scoreless 1.0 inning. Graduate student Zach Rodgers (Parrish, Fla.) and freshman Michael Simes (Rutland, Mass.) each had two strikeouts to lead the team. Freshman Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.) earned his second save of the season after closing the ninth with one strikeout and one earned run.
 
Prior to first pitch, graduate student Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) was in the starting lineup for the last time at LeLacheur Park. The veteran has been sidelined with an injury but made the start in his final appearance in Lowell. He received a warm ovation from the crowd and the team as he left the field.
 
Zach Rodgers struck out two hitters in the opening frame, but Binghamton plated two in the second to take the lead. Trey Brown answered with a two-run bomb to left field in the bottom of the second, tying the game at 2-2. Rodgers and Bogli combined for a scoreless third inning to set up a big bottom half for the River Hawks.
 
Humphrey hit a leadoff double before Gallagher's RBI double gave UMass Lowell the lead. Senior Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) hit a deep shot to center to score Gallagher before a sacrifice fly from Fish made it 5-2. Trey Brown then hit his second homerun of the day, a three-run rocket to left field to put the hosts ahead 8-2 and chase Binghamton's starter Bryggman. Senior Frank Wayman (Horseheads, N.Y.) swung at the first pitch and hit a solo homerun to right, stretching the lead to seven runs after three.
 
The River Hawks and Bearcats would exchange runs in the next two innings with Binghamton tacking on four runs behind two, two-run homeruns. Alex Luccini and Brandon Fish tallied RBIs in the fourth to keep the hosts in front. The defense turned a lovely 6-4-3 double play in the top of the sixth before another RBI single for Luccini gave the River Hawks a 12-6 edge through six.
 
Binghamton did not go away quietly and tacked on three more runs in the seventh, cutting the lead down to three. Another run in the eighth inning made it a two-run game. Sophomore Jake Fitzgibbons (Franklin, Mass.) replaced Proto behind the plate and came up big on the offensive side with a double to score Gallagher in the bottom of the eighth to give UMass Lowell an insurance run. Luccini's fifth hit of the day scored the sophomore to make it a 14-10 game.
Jette took over in the ninth with two on and no outs, striking out the first hitter. A single, walk and fielder's choice brought in three runs for Binghamton to cut the lead to just one with two outs. Jette forced a pop to third, where Fish made the grab and secured the win on senior day and secure the series win for the River Hawks.
 
Up next, UMass Lowell will head to Vestal, N.Y. to play in the America East tournament, hosted by Binghamton. Seeding and matchups are to be determined.