LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.) went 2-for-2 at the plate with two doubles and one run, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (13-22) fell 13-3 to the Merrimack Warriors (11-24-1) on Tuesday afternoon.
"Obviously it's tough when you dig a hole like that early in the game," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "I know we're capable of playing much better than we showed today, so we need to regroup before a tough conference weekend."
Sophomore Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) knocked two hits with one run, while freshman Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) added a home run.
Sophomore Kevin Rourke (Londonderry, N.H.) got the start on the mound, with freshman Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) following him with 2.1 innings and two strikeouts. Graduate student Miles Cota (Hampstead, N.C.) also made an appearance, posting two strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched. Senior Andres Hulfachor (Nashua, N.H.) went 1.0 inning, fanning two batters.
The Warriors caught fire early, using an eight-run first inning to jump out in front. Although senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) recorded a double in the home half of the inning, the River Hawks were unable to get on the board before Merrimack added one more in the top of the second, extending the lead to 9-0. UMass Lowell refused to back down though, as Kelly smacked a double to right center, eventually reaching home on a groundout by sophomore Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.), cutting the deficit to 9-1 after two.
After getting two on with two outs, the Warriors capitalized with a three-run home run to make it a 12-1 difference. The River Hawks responded with a solo shot of their own, as Cali led off the bottom of the third with a deep drive over the left field fence for the home team's second run of the game. Stepping to the mound in the fourth, Cota fanned the first batter before forcing a groundout and fly out to send his team back to the plate.
Starting to find their rhythm, Donahue stroked a one-out double down the left-field line to get the UMass Lowell offense going. Next to the plate, senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) added an infield single to put runners on the corners, setting up Fish who drove the ball to center field, deep enough for Donahue to tag up to make it a 12-3 game. Cota continued his strong outing in the sixth, recording another three up, three down inning with a punchout.
Looking to start a rally, the River Hawks were patient at the plate in the home half of the six, drawing a pair of walks before a single by senior Jake Fitzgibbons (Franklin, Mass.) loaded the bases. Merrimack, however, was able to get out of the jam, keeping the game a nine-run difference before adding one more in the top of the seventh, sealing the 13-3 final score.
The River Hawks return to action Friday, April 18, when they visit Bryant for a weekend series in Smithfield, R.I. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Conaty Park.
