LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team (9-15, 2-4 America East) closes out its five-game homestand on Tuesday, taking on Dartmouth (5-12) to end the month of March. The River Hawks then hit the road this upcoming weekend for their third conference series of the season at UAlbany (4-17, AE 2-4).
LAST TIME OUT
Nearing the season's halfway point, the River Hawks enter the week with a 1-4 record over their past five contests in the previous week. UMass Lowell now holds a 9–15 overall record and is 2–4 in America East play, currently tied for fifth in the conference.
UMass Lowell opened last week with a pair of midweek games, visiting Merrimack on Tuesday before hosting Northeastern in its home opener on Wednesday. The River Hawks fell in both matchups, 11–4 to the Warriors and 6–0 against the Huskies. In the Merrimack game, junior Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) knocked a double with two RBI and a run, while senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico), graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), and freshman Tyler McKillop (Blue Point, N.Y.) each tallied a hit and a run. On the mound, freshman Tyler Dunlea (Attleboro, Mass.) made his first collegiate start, pitching 2.0 innings, as freshman Seamus Scott (Lowell, Mass.) made his first collegiate appearance, going 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and no runs. During the home game versus Northeastern, freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.), senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.), Martinez and Donahue each tallied a hit during the contest. Freshman Christopher Klueber (Bourne, Mass.) got the start on the bump, pitching 3.2 innings with a strikeout, as the right-hander allowed just one run and four hits in his outing. Freshman Josh Doney (Lynn, Mass.) and sophomore Jake LeFrancois (Worcester, Mass.) also made appearances with both pitchers tallying a strikeout in a hitless inning each.
Following this past weekend's series against Maine, the River Hawks dropped two of three games, falling 10–6 in Sunday's series finale. UMass Lowell opened with a 10–1 victory over the Black Bears before Maine took game two, 9–5. Junior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) was stellar on the mound in game one, tossing seven strikeouts and allowing only four hits in a complete game effort to help secure a 10–1 win for the River Hawks. Performing well at the plate, Martinez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run, redshirt-sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) also went 3-for-4, adding two runs and an RBI, and senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) was perfect, going 3-for-3 with a run. In game two against the Black Bears, O'Leary hit 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and two runs scored, Martinez posted two hits and an RBI during his five at-bats, and graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) knocked a home run. Senior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) got his sixth start of the season on the mound in game two, pitching 3.1 innings with four strikeouts. In the final game of the series, DeLanzo went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, and Solorzano also hit 2-for-4, recording a run in the contest. Out of the bullpen, senior Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.) began in the game, going 6.0 innings with a career-high six strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed, while LeFrancois pitched 2.0 innings with three strikeouts.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Now in conference action, DeLanzo ranks first on the team in batting average (.302), while Solorzano is sitting in first for on-base plus slugging percentage at .857. Masse remains as the leader on the team in runs scored (27), walks (20), and stolen bases (5). Martinez ranks first on the team for runs batted in with 20, while also being tied for first in home runs (3) with Burgos, O'Leary and Solorzano. O'Leary is also tied for first in triples with Chance and Burgos at one each.
Mucciarone leads the team in earned run average (3.26), and holds a team-high in WHIP at 1.22. Sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.), graduate student Will Melby Jr. (Munster, Ind.), and LeFrancois are all tied for the most wins on the team with two. Martinez leads the team in saves with three. Mucciarone has also pitched in the most innings (38.2) on the team, while Foley ranks first on the team in strikeouts at 34.
A RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE
On Saturday, March 7, the River Hawks knocked 22 hits at San Francisco, tying the UMass Lowell Division I program record for most hits in a single game, while also marking the most singles in a contest with 18 in UMass Lowell Division I history. This outing matches their performance on April 15, 2022, when the team posted 22 hits versus Hartford in a 20-4 victory. The previous record for singles in a game as a team was 15, also versus Hartford in the same contest on April 15, 2022.
TYING THE UML DI SINGLE-GAME HITS RECORD
On Thursday, March 12, Chance compiled five hits in the first game of the series at Pepperdine, as the freshman's performance matched the UMass Lowell Division I single-game hits record. He recorded four singles and one double, while also tallying a run and an RBI. The catcher became just the seventh River Hawk in UMass Lowell DI history to reach five hits in a game.
A NEW UML DI PROGRAM CAREER DOUBLES LEADER
On Wednesday, March 25, Carlos Martinez stepped to the plate for his second at-bat against Northeastern and drove a double to right field. The hit was his 44th as a River Hawk, making the outfielder UMass Lowell Baseball's Division I career leader in doubles.
COMPLETE GAME PERFORMANCE BY MUCCIARONE
On Friday, March 27, Alfred Mucciarone made his sixth start of the season and dominated the Maine Black Bears, throwing a complete game in a 10–1 UMass Lowell victory. The junior right-hander pitched all nine innings, striking out seven, allowing four hits, and giving up zero walks and no earned runs. The River Hawks' last complete game came on April 26, 2024, when Michael Simes threw all nine innings in a 2–0 win over UMBC.
AE OVERALL PLAYER STATISTICAL RANKS
In the conference stats leaderboard at this stage of the season, Masse remains in second in the America East in runs scored at 27, as O'Leary sits behind tied for sixth in runs scored with 22, and Martinez and Chance are both tied for 10th with 19 runs scored. Martinez is also tied for seventh in the conference for runs batted in with 20 and is tied for fourth in doubles with Chance at seven. Burgos, O'Leary, and Chance are all tied for ninth in triples (1). Martinez, Solorzano, Burgos, and O'Leary are all tied for seventh in home runs in the America East with three. Masse ranks tied for first in the conference for walks with 20, as Scott is behind in fourth for walks at 16.
Mucciarone is ranked sixth for earned run average in the America East at 4.25. Foley is still leading the conference in total strikeouts with 30, as Mucciarone ranks tied for fourth with 23. Mucciarone is also sitting tied for second in innings pitched with 29.2. Melby Jr., Geisler, and LeFrancois are all tied for fourth in the conference for wins with two each. Martinez ranks second in saves with three, while LeFrancois is tied for fourth in saves at one.
For overall team rankings in the conference, the River Hawks are ranked third for batting average (.266).
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH
Dartmouth comes into Tuesday's game against UMass Lowell after a 5–0 outcome on Monday over Columbia, securing the series 2–1. The Big Green are now 5–12 overall. Offensively, junior A.J. DeMastrie has posted a team-high .302 batting average and a .777 on-base plus slugging percentage, tallying 19 hits with three doubles and one home run, 10 RBI, and eight runs. Out of the bullpen for the Big Green, junior Nate Isler has posted a 4.20 earned run average and a 1.40 WHIP in five starts, pitching 30.0 innings with a team-high 34 strikeouts. Junior Marco Dumsky is also a pitcher to watch for Dartmouth, as the right-hander holds a 5.30 earned run average with 20 total strikeouts over 18.2 innings pitched.
SCOUTING UALBANY
UAlbany enters this week's conference series after previously falling in its Sunday matchup versus UMBC, 8–6, ultimately dropping the series 3–0 to the Retrievers. The Great Danes are currently 4–17 overall with a 2-4 America East record this season. The key piece offensively for UAlbany is redshirt-junior Michael Maggio who leads the team in batting average (.353), hits (24), and runs scored (12), while also registering three doubles and six RBI. The top pitcher for the Great Danes is redshirt-senior Matthew Mariano, who leads the team in earned run average (1.64), WHIP (.94), and saves (1), striking out 21 batters in 33.0 innings. Another pitcher for UAlbany is senior Dylan Banner who has pitched the most innings (35.2) and leads the team in strikeouts (28), posting a 4.29 earned run average this season.
MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks lead the all-time series against Dartmouth 5–4, with a 1–3 record at home and 4–1 on the road. Last season, the Big Green claimed an 11–5 decision in their only matchup with UMass Lowell. Against the Great Danes, the all-time series stands tied at 24–24, including an 11–11 mark on the road and 9–12 at home. Last season, UAlbany captured all three games during last season's series.
