LOWELL, Mass. – Junior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) had a massive day at the plate, going 4-for-7 with two home runs, six RBI, and five runs, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (10-14) took down Bryant (10-14-1) in both games of the doubleheader on Friday afternoon.
"Really great two wins," stated Head Coach Nick Barese. "The offense carried us in game one, as we put together a lot of really good at-bats up and down the lineup. Game two, Brendan Holland was fantastic with 11 strikeouts over seven innings. He really kept their lineup off balance all day. Carlos Martinez had a massive throw to cut down a runner at the plate, and then his home run in the 8th was about as perfect of a swing you could ask for. Then in the ninth, to have Zach work the two-out walk to extend the inning, and Conor Kelly with the walkoff two-out, two-strike hit is a perfect example of how tough our lineup can be."
Senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) recorded three hits with two triples and one double, including two RBI and four runs, while senior Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.) went 4-for-9 at the plate with three RBI.
Starting on the mound in the first game was sophomore Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.), who went 4.0 innings with four strikeouts. Senior Andres Hulfachor (Nashua, N.H.) followed with a one-inning outing on his way to his second win of the season. Redshirt junior Brendan Holland (North Andover, Mass.) dominated game two, going seven innings with eleven punchouts, tying the program's Division I record recently set back in 2023. Redshirt sophomore Nick Dirito (Plymouth, Mass.) pitched in both contests, totaling 2.2 innings with four strikeouts, earning the victory in game two.
It didn't take long for the River Hawks to get on the board, as junior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk, Fish drilled a double into left, and Martinez drove a single up the middle to drive in both runners, giving UMass Lowell an early 2-0 lead. Moments later, after another single by the home team, an error by the opposition allowed Martinez to make it home, extending the lead to three. Meanwhile, Mucciarone started the game strong on the mound, tossing three strikeouts on his way to sitting down the first six batters of the game.
In the bottom of the third, the River Hawks went right back to work, as senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) singled to center, immediately followed by a triple off the bat of Fish, adding another run to the River Hawks' tally. Moments later, a double from sophomore Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) sent Fish home to make it a 5-0 game
through three. Starting to find their rhythm, the Bulldogs added three in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to two.
In the fifth, Bryant continued to make solid contact, putting together another three-run inning to take their first lead of the game, 6-5. In the home half of the frame, UMass Lowell responded with a double by Luccini and a walk from Fish to put two on for Martinez. With a 1-1 count, Martinez launched a homer over the right field wall, putting his squad back on top, 8-6. Looking to extend their advantage, the River Hawks added two more in the inning to make it a four-run game. Taking over on the mound, Dirito retired the side in the sixth with a pair of strikeouts, sending the home team back to the plate. In the bottom half of the inning, UMass Lowell added five more runs, sealing the 15-6 victory in seven innings.
The second game of the doubleheader began with the Bulldogs taking the edge early, 2-0, following a home run to left field. Leading off for the River Hawks, Scott laced a single up the middle before advancing to third due to a hit by a pitch and a stolen base. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Fish sent a sac fly into deep right field, cutting the home team's deficit down to one after one. Over the next two innings, the starting pitchers for both sides put together strong showings, with Holland striking out three. Although the visitors used a homer in the top of the fourth to regain a two-run lead, Holland added a strikeout in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the score the same heading into the home half of the fifth.
Looking to even the score, senior Jake Fitzgibbons (Franklin, Mass.) led off the fifth with a single to center before advancing to second on a wild pitch. After a ground out advanced the senior to third, he raced home on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. Although Bryant finished off the inning without allowing another run, Holland continued to pitch lights out in the sixth, adding a pair of strikeouts while allowing only one hit to give the offense another chance. With a runner on second in two outs, sophomore Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) stepped up in the clutch, smoking the ball into right-center for a RBI double, knotting the game up at 3-3. In the top of the seventh, Holland capped off his career day with another electric inning, striking out another pair of Bulldogs for his tenth and 11th strikeouts of the day, tying the Division I program record.
After Bryant was able to work around a two-out double by Kelly in the bottom of the seventh to keep the score tied, graduate student Dylan Bedder (New Providence, N.J.) took over on the mound. Making quick work of the opposition, Bedder tallied two strikeouts without allowing a runner to send the game to the home half of the eighth. Swinging a hot bat all day, Martinez stepped to the plate with one out, and after fouling off the first two pitches, sent his second homer of the day over the right field wall, this time giving his team their first lead of the day 4-3.
Although the visitors added a run in the top of the ninth to even the score, the River Hawks refused to back down. With two outs and nobody on, Scott started things off for the River Hawks, drawing a five-pitch walk to put the game-winning run on first. Next to the plate, Kelly waited for his pitch, crushing a 1-2 pitch into deep right-center, allowing Scott to race home and seal the 5-4 victory in walk-off fashion.
The River Hawks and Bulldogs are set to close out the three-game series tomorrow, March 29. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Edward A. LeLacheur Park.
