HIGH POINT, N.C. – Freshman Sean O'Leary's (Foxboro, Mass.) grand slam and first career homerun led the UMass Lowell baseball team (1-0) to a 10-6 win over High Point Panthers (0-1) in Friday's season opener.
 
"Really great win to start the year. Mentally tough, gritty, trademark win," said head coach Nick Barese. "I was happy with our offensive approach all game. Brandon Fish led the way, and we got a lot of support up and down the lineup."
 
O'Leary went 2-4 with four RBIs and one run scored. Junior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) went 5-6 with three doubles, three runs and two RBIs while graduate student Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) went 3-4 with one run and one RBI.
 
"The bullpen kept us in the game and did their job," added Barese. "And to have two freshmen in Sean O'Leary and James Capellupo do what they did tonight, is incredible."
 
Freshman James Capellupo (Hilton, N.Y.) earned his first career win with four strikeouts, including back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Junior LJ Keevan (Holden, Mass.) went 4.1 innings with two strikeouts while senior Andres Hulfachor (Nashua, N.H.) went 1.0 inning and struck out two.
 
The River Hawks offense was aggressive early on with the first seven batters swinging at the first pitch of the at bat. Senior Fritz Genther's (Kingston, N.Y.) leadoff walk and junior Alex Luccini's (Hopedale, Mass.) single to left put two on before sophomore Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Ricc) doubled down the left field line to score one. Brandon Fish followed with a double to deep center to bring in two and give UMass Lowell an early 3-0 lead.
 
LJ Keevan earned his first strikeout of the season in the second, but the Panthers got on the board with a single to center to make it 3-1 through two. After three walks to open the third, High Point tacked on a second run with a sacrifice fly before taking a 5-3 lead behind a three-run homerun.
 
Hits from Ryan Proto and senior Roddy Hernandez (Jersey City, N.J.) put two on in the fourth, but the runners were left stranded. Michael Simes entered the game in relief of Keevan with one on and one out in the bottom of the fifth and retired the next two batters.
 
Fish's leadoff single put a runner on in the sixth before Proto was walked and Sean O'Leary was hit by a pitch to load the bases for UMass Lowell. The River Hawks tacked on another run after Genther drew a two-out walk to score Fish. Graduate student Miles Cota (Hampstead, N.C.) took over on the bump in the sixth and struck out one in a 1-2-3 inning.
 
Graduate student Matt Tobin's (Poland, N.Y.) solo homerun in the top of the seventh inning tied the game at 5-5 before Brandon Fish doubled to right field as the River Hawks' offense began to find a rhythm. Ryan Proto followed with a double down the left field line to score Fish and give the River Hawks the lead.
 
Tobin did the work on the defensive end, turning an unassisted double play in the bottom of the seventh to keep the visitors in front. Cota continued to throw well and ended the frame with a groundout. Sophomore Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) made his first appearance of the year in the eighth and threw a scoreless frame to send UMass Lowell into the ninth with the lead.
 
Fish tallied his fourth hit of the night with a one-out single to right field in the top of the ninth inning. O'Leary recorded his first collegiate hit to put runners on first and second with one out, but both were left stranded.
 
Andres Hulfachor took over on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, making his UMass Lowell debut. A one-out solo homerun tied the game at six, but the senior bounced back with two strikeouts to escape a jam with two on, sending the game to extra innings.
 
James Capellupo made his collegiate debut in the bottom of the tenth inning and struck out two. Matt Tobin was hit by a pitch before Brandon Fish doubled to center to put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Proto was intentionally walked to load the bases for Sean O'Leary. The freshman drilled a shot to right center field to clear the bases and give a River Hawks a 10-4 lead. Capellupo returned to the mound for the bottom of the eleventh and threw a 1-2-3 inning with back-to-back strikeouts to secure the win.
 
Game one of the Saturday doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m. at Williard Stadium.