LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.) went 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBI, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (16-26) took down the Binghamton Bearcats (20-19) 5-4 to close out the remainder of Saturday's game, before earning a 5-2 victory in game two, completing the series victory on Sunday afternoon.
"Really impressed with the team today," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "We got excellent starting pitching all weekend from Mucciarone, Holland, and Dirito, and Dylan Bedder was really good, per usual. I can't say enough about our position players. The guys found themselves in different roles all weekend and performed."
Freshman Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) added two hits, two RBI, and one run, while sophomore Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) posted two hits, three runs, and one RBI.
To begin game two on Sunday, senior Andres Hulfachor (Nashua, N.H.) went 2.0 innings with one strikeout, followed by graduate student Dylan Bedder (New Providence, N.J.), who went one inning to earn the save. In game two of the day, redshirt sophomore Nick Dirito (Plymouth, Mass.) tossed 7.0 innings, allowing one earned run and four hits with three strikeouts. Bedder made an appearance in game three as well, pitching 2.0 innings, to earn his fourth save on the season.
Picking up where they left off on Saturday, Binghamton stepped up to the plate in the top of the seventh, trailing 5-2. Taking over on the mound, Hulfachor made quick work of the offense, getting three outs on ten pitches to send his team to the plate. Although the River Hawks were unable to get a runner on, Hulfachor once again put together a strong showing in the eighth, helping keep his squad's three-run lead heading into the final frame.
In the ninth, the Bearcats started hot, loading the bases with no outs before adding a pair of runs off a fielder's choice and a single. Bedder, however, refused to allow the opposition to even the score, forcing a pair of flyouts to seal the 5-4 outcome.
To start the third game of the series, Dirito struck out the first batter he faced, before retiring the next two batters to send his team to the plate. The visitors responded though, sitting down the first three batters of the game for UMass Lowell. After Dirito once again took care of business in the top of the second, the River Hawks got to work on offense, using a leadoff double by senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.), followed by a walk and fielder's choice, to put two in scoring position with one out. Next up, Kelly capitalized on the opportunity, driving an RBI single into right center, putting his team in front, 1-0.
Dirito continued his excellent outing through five innings, as he kept the Bearcats hitless while collecting three strikeouts to keep the score the same. In the bottom of the fifth, the River Hawks led off with a single by Strand, who quickly advanced to second on a wild pitch. Next to the plate, Kelly posted his second RBI single of the game, sending Strand home for a 2-0 advantage.
Looking to start a rally in the sixth, the visitors used a walk, a pair of singles, and a fielder's choice to load the bases with one out. Although Binghamton drove in one run to cut the deficit in half, Dirito stood strong, forcing a flyout to center to escape the jam with minimal damage. In the home half of the frame, the hosts were quick to answer, loading the bases with no outs before Strand recorded an RBI on a fielder's choice, putting his team back up by two, 3-1, with three innings to play.
Still looking sharp on the mound, Dirito forced two quick outs in the top of the seventh before a base hit brought the game-tying run to the plate. The Massachusetts native was nails though, getting the Bearcats' hitter to ground out to first to end his excellent day on the mound.
Although a solo shot by the visitors made it a 3-2 game in the eighth, the River Hawks' offense responded with a pair of runs. Sophomore River Hart (Nashua, N.H.) got things started with a leadoff walk before an error and a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with one out. Following a wild pitch that plated a run for UMass Lowell, sophomore Rowan Masse (Manchester, Ct.) added an RBI single to extend his squad's lead to 5-2. In the top of the ninth, the River Hawks' defense stood strong, getting three quick outs to seal the 5-2 win and series victory.
Next up, the River Hawks are back for their fourth straight home game when they host Quinnipiac on Tuesday, April 29. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Edward A. LeLacheur Park.
