Box Score CHARLESTON, S.C. – Senior captain Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the UMass Lowell baseball (1-0) team to a 5-3 victory against Mercyhurst in the 2025 season opener at the Swig & Swine College Classic on Friday.
"I was very happy with how the guys played today," voiced Head Coach Nick Barese. "Brian Foley and Nick Dirito were fantastic out of the bullpen. They kept the game in check until our offense was able to manufacture some runs. Brandon Fish was definitely the spark for us today offensively. Hopefully we can build on this into the weekend."
Fish logged two, extra-base hits on the day with a home run and a double, in addition to adding one run and two RBI. New to the squad, junior Zach Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) made an impact in his debut, going 2-for-4 at bat, while earning one run.
Sophomore Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) started the game for the River Hawks on the mound, pitching in 4.0 innings with five strikeouts. Junior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) took over for Mucciarone in the fifth inning, posting four strikeoutsand collecting the win. Redshirt-sophomore Nick Dirito (Plymouth, Mass.) earned his first save of the year with a hitless ninth inning and three strikeouts posted.
The River Hawks started on the defensive side, as Merychurst added one on the board in their first trip to the dish after a single and a fielding error. Mucciarone closed the inning with a strikeout, giving him a total of three in the first.
The Lakers increased their lead in the top of the fourth inning after a two-run single to right field. However, Fish quickly responded for the River Hawks in the home half of the inning with a solo home run to right field to cut the difference to 3-1.
Foley came on in relief to start the fifth, forcing two strikeouts and a fly ball out to senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) in center field for the 1-2-3 inning.
The sixth inning is when the game changed for the River Hawks, using good at-bats to walk the bases loaded. Sophomore Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) and sophomore Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) scored after the walks, tying the game up at three apiece.
In their next chance, Fish came up big yet again, this time with a double to left center, sending sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) home to give the River Hawks their first lead of the day, 4-3.
The UMass Lowell defense held Mercyhurst scoreless for a fourth straight inning in the eighth, allowing the team to capitalize at the plate. A single to right field from senior Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.) in the bottom of the inning would knock in Scott to create a 5-3 margin.
To close the ninth inning for UMass Lowell, Dirito entered as the save pitcher and hurled three straight strikeouts to propel the River Hawks to their first victory of the season after a huge comeback.
UMass Lowell plays right back in Shipyard Park tomorrow, Saturday, Feb 15, when the team takes on Ball State at 3 p.m. and Towson at 7 p.m. for a doubleheader to close the Swig & Swine Classic.
