LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore River Hart (Nashua, N.H.) tallied three hits with two home runs and four RBI, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (17-26) defeated the Quinnipiac Bobcats (23-18-1), 15-7, on Tuesday afternoon. 

Freshman Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) went 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI and two runs, while sophomore Rowan Masse (Manchester, Ct.) recorded two hits, two RBI, and two runs on the day. 

Sophomore Cam Sime (Pittsfield, Mass.) pitched 3.0 innings with four punchouts, while Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) tossed 2.0 innings with three strikeouts. Graduate student Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.) took the mound for two innings, holding the Bobcats hitless while adding a strikeout. 

The Bobcats got off to a fast start in the first, as an RBI single put them up early, before adding a triple and a groundout to drive in two more for a 3-0 lead. Although the visitors got the two first batters of the home half out, senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) worked a full count before drawing a walk, setting up Hart who cracked a two-run shot over the left-center wall to cut the difference to one run. Responding quickly, the visitors added one run in the top of the second to make it a 4-2 lead. 

Despite two runners reaching base in the top of the third, Sime didn't let the pressure get to him, collecting three strikeouts swinging in the frame to send his team to the plate. Leading off the bottom of the third, senior Jake Fitzgibbons (Franklin, Mass.) reached first due to an error, and only one batter later, Hart struck again, drilling his second two-run homer of the game, evening the score at 4-4. The Bobcats answered again though, adding a run in the fourth to regain the lead, this time at 5-4. 

After the Bobcats plated a run in the top of the fifth, the River Hawks' bats caught fire in the home half, starting with a leadoff single from Fish, followed moments later by a one-out base hit from sophomore Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.). Next to the plate, Masse ripped an RBI single to left field to once again pull the score to even. Following a stolen base by Masse, senior Spencer Aubin (Dover, N.H.) added a single of his own, setting up sophomore Scotty Brown (Andover, Mass.) to bunt in the go-ahead run and give the River Hawks a 7-6 lead. The squad didn't stop there, as they used a hit by pitch, a walk and a sacrifice fly to build up their lead and take a 10-6 advantage, before adding three more runs in the sixth to own a 13-7 lead with three innings to play. 

Taking over on the mound in the seventh, Zarnoch was near perfect, sitting down the first six batters he faced to help keep his team's six-run lead. After senior Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) smacked a two-run home run over the right field wall to make it 15-7 through eight innings, the River Hawks saw a chance to close the door on the Bobcats, as freshman Jake LeFrancois (Worcester, Mass.) allowed only one hit before getting the final out of the game, sealing the 15-7 victory. 

Next up, the River Hawks are back at home on Friday, May 2, when they match up against conference opponent UAlbany. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Edward A. LeLacheur Park.