BRIGHTON, Mass. – Senior Conor Kelly (Hopkinton, Mass.) went 3-for-4 on the day, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (12-19) fell to the Boston College Eagles (14-17), 3-1, in a tight battle on Tuesday afternoon. 

Freshman Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) posted one hit and one RBI, while sophomore Rowan Masse (Manchester, Mass.) added one hit and one run. 

Freshman Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J) got the start, going 4.0 innings with one strikeout. Junior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) went 2.0 innings, allowing only one hit and no runs. 

The River Hawks wasted no time to get the bats going, as sophomore Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) ripped a single down the left field line to open the game. The Eagles wouldn't allow UMass Lowell to advance the runner though, getting three outs to head to the bottom of the first. In the home half of the inning, Boston College used a leadoff double, followed by a pair of singles, to jump out to an early lead, 2-0, after one. 

Looking to bounce back, Geisler took over on the mound, making quick work of the Eagles' offense in the second inning while allowing only three base runners over the third and fourth innings. Meanwhile, UMass Lowell continued to put the ball in play, recording singles in each inning, but was unable to capitalize, keeping the score at 2-0 through four innings. 

Taking over on the mound to start the fifth, Foley went straight to work, getting the first batter to ground out on two pitches, and despite the next batter drawing a walk, the junior forced two more ground outs to send his team to the plate. In the next inning, Foley continued his strong outing, grabbing two quick outs on three pitches. Although Boston College got two runners on, the River Hawks held strong by getting the final out, keeping it a two-run game through six. In the top of the seventh, junior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) ripped a one-out double to left center, before advancing to third on a bunt single by Kelly. The Eagles found their way out of the jam though, before adding another run in the bottom of the frame, extending the lead to 3-0 with two innings to play. 

In the top of the eighth, the UMass Lowell bats began to heat up, as Masse led off with a single down the left field line. Only three pitches later, senior Jake Fitzgibbons (Franklin, Mass.) added a single of his own to put runners on the corners, before Cali put a 0-2 pitch in play, driving in Masse to cut the deficit to 3-1. Despite momentum being on the visitors' side, Boston College fought off the comeback attempt, sending the game to the ninth. Although Kelly added another single in the final inning, the River Hawks were unable to plate another run, sealing the 3-1 decision. 

Next up, the River Hawks return home to host the UMBC Retrievers in a weekend series, with the first game scheduled for Friday, April 11. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Edward A. LeLacheur Park.