HICKORY, N.C. – Senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) went perfect at the plate for the second time this season, going 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (2-4) fell to the Appalachian State Mountaineers (4-3), 14-10, on Sunday afternoon. 

"A tough outcome, especially when our bats finally came alive," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "We really struggled to minimize their scoring and keep innings from getting away from us as a pitching staff. We needed to be more competitive on the mound than what we showed today." 

Getting the start at first base, sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) had his best game of the young season, hitting a solo shot as part of a two-hit day with two runs and two RBI. Hitting in the leadoff spot, junior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) went 2-4 at the plate with one triple, adding two runs and one RBI. 

Graduate student Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.) was on the bump for game three against the Mountaineers, tallying two strikeouts in four innings pitched. Senior Andres Hulfachor (Nashua, N.H.) tossed one inning, logging two strikeouts. Graduate student Dylan Bedder (New Providence, N.J.), junior Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.), and freshman Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) all got the ball for an inning, with all three recording a strikeout. 

It didn't take long for the River Hawks' bats to heat up, as Scott opened the game with a single through the left side. After, senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) advanced him to second following a one bagger, with Fish ripping a double down the left field line, driving in the first run of the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Zarnoch Jr. came out firing, making quick work of three batters, to keep the one-run lead through one. Moments later, O'Leary blasted a home run to right-center, doubling the UMass Lowell lead to 2-0 after two. 

After a scoreless third, the River Hawks added to their lead in the top of the fourth, as Fish got things started with a leadoff walk. Sophomore Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) followed with a single, and after a ground out, advanced Fish to third, as sophomore Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) drove him home with a sac fly to right to make it 3-0. The hosts responded though, using three hits in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score up at 3-3. 

Looking to answer, the UMass Lowell offense exploded in the top of the fifth, putting together a six-run frame. Luccini got things started with a double down the left line, quickly followed by singles from junior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico), Fish, and Donahue. The Mountaineers then made a call to the bullpen, but it didn't slow the River Hawks down, as O'Leary laced an RBI single to left, and Scott drove the ball into the right-center gap for an RBI triple, giving their squad an 8-3 lead. Junior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) capped off the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to left, putting the visitors on top, 9-3, at the midway point. Despite the deficit, Appalachian State responded, scoring seven in the bottom half of the inning to jump in front, 10-9. 

Although the hosts added three more in the sixth, the River Hawks refused to back down, starting to rally in the eighth inning. Back-to-back one-out singles from Martinez and Fish got things started before Donahue drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases. O'Leary then drove in his second runner of the day to cut the deficit to 13-10, but the Mountaineers were able to escape the jam before adding one more, sealing the 14-10 final. 

UMass Lowell returns next Friday, February 28, at 3:00 p.m. when they travel to Valley Falls, S.C. to face USC Upstate at Cleveland S. Harley Park.