RICHMOND, Va. – Sophomore infielder Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) dominated at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, four runs and a walk, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (4-9) took down Lafayette (2-12), 17-6, in eight innings to close out the weekend. 

"Really happy with our effort across the board today," stated Head Coach Nick Barese. "Nick Dirito gave us a fantastic spot start, and offensively we got production up and down the lineup. It was a solid team win." 

Others impacting on the offensive side included sophomore River Hart (Nashua, N.H.), who tallied five RBI on three hits, including a homer and a double, with two runs, and sophomore Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) going 4-for-6 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs. 

For the first time this season, redshirt sophomore Nick Dirito (Plymouth, Mass.) earned the start on the bump, going 5.1 innings with six strikeouts en route to the win. Taking over in the sixth, junior Michael Simes (Rutland, Mass.) finished out the game, hurling two strikeouts in 2.2 innings. 

Both sides opened the game with strong showings in the field, as the Leopards held the River Hawks to one hit in the top of the first before Dirito struck out two to keep things scoreless after one. However, in the second, Lafayette struck first, using a RBI single to take the lead, 1-0. Dirito locked in, striking out the next batter, and added two more strikeouts swinging in the third to keep it a one-run game after three. 

In the fourth, the River Hawks bats started to heat up, as Masse tallied his second single of the day before advancing to third on junior Joseph DeLanzo's (Nutley, N.J.) first-pitch single. Only a batter later, junior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) hit a ground ball to first, sending Masse home to tie the score, 1-1. Continuing to dominate on the mound, Dirito made quick work of the opposition, going three up and three down to send the game to the top of the fifth. 

Looking to take the lead, the UMass Lowell offense exploded in the fifth, kickstarted by a leadoff bomb to center field by Donahue. After a pair of singles and a groundout put two in scoring position, Masse stroked a one-out single to left to drive in both runners, giving the River Hawks a 4-1 lead. They didn't stop there, though, as next at the plate, DeLanzo legged out a double down the right field line, sending Masse home and making it a four-run game. After a pitching change for Lafayette, Hart sent a 1-2 pitch into left field for a double, driving in DeLanzo and extending the lead to 6-1 through five. 

Although the Leopards added two in the sixth to cut the UMass Lowell lead to three, the River Hawks quickly regained momentum in the top of the seventh when DeLanzo shot a double into right, driving in Masse, who reached on a hit by pitch. Lafayette made a call to the bullpen, but it led to a Hart dinger over the center field wall, his second home run of the season. Moments later, a one-out triple from senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.), followed by a single by Donahue gave the squad their biggest lead of the day, 10-3. In the bottom of the frame, the Leopards capitalized on getting the lead runner on base, using a sac fly later in the inning to make it 10-4 entering the eighth. 

In the eighth, a trio of walks for the River Hawks loaded the bases, setting up Hart, who drove in two with a single to center on the second pitch of the at-bat. After another walk, Luccini collected a pair of RBI with his third hit of the afternoon before Donahue added another single, and senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) doubled down the right field line for a commanding 15-4 lead. Adding two more, the final runs for the River Hawks came from junior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) on a full-count single, driving in Fish and Donahue to complete the seven-run inning. The Leopards added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the River Hawks refused to let them get any closer, sealing the 17-6 victory in eight innings. 

The River Hawks return to action for their first midweek game of the season on Wednesday, March 12, when they face the Longwood Lancers. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville, Va.