LOWELL, Mass. – Graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (10-15, 2-4 AE) defeated Dartmouth (5-13) in a close match, taking a 4–3 win over the Big Green on Tuesday Afternoon at Edward A. LeLacheur Park.
"Today's performance was good," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "Midweeks are important because it gives guys any opportunity to turn the page from the weekend and start the new week on a positive note. I think it gives a lot of our pitchers opportunity that maybe didn't see innings over the weekend. And today was one of those games we talked about a few different times this year where it was less then ideal conditions, but I thought we played well and pitched really well. Offensively, not our best day, but at the same time, we got a big hit when we needed it. I felt we were aggressive on the bases. Then defensively, with the exception of one little miscue on a bunt play, I thought overall a pretty good day."
Senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) added a hit and three walks, as freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) logged a hit, a run, and an RBI in the contest. Getting his first start of the season, junior Evan Cornelius (Milford, Mass.) pitched 4.1 innings with two strikeouts and no earned runs in his outing. Graduate student Will Melby Jr. (Munster, Ind.) tossed 1.0 inning with two strikeouts, no runs and no hits, securing his third win of the season, while graduate student Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.) also pitched one scoreless inning with a strikeout, collecting his first save of the season. Also pitching, freshman Christopher Klueber (Bourne, Mass.) saw 1.2 innings with three strikeouts.
After Cornelius retired the opponents in order in the first, Chance took advantage of a fielding error by Dartmouth's defense and redshirt-sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) capitalized on a wild pitch to create an early, 2-0 lead. In the second, Cornelius registered a strikeout and Chance closed the frame with an impressive throw home from left field for the final out. UMass Lowell then stayed locked in on the field with Cornelius retiring three straight in the visitors' half of the third. With two outs in the home half of the third, Solorzano waited for the right pitch before drilling the ball over the left field wall to stretch the difference to 3–0. Both teams were held off the board in the fourth, keeping the score unchanged going into the next inning.
Dartmouth slowly chipped away with a run on a fielder's choice to make it 3–1, but Klueber struck out one and got a putout at third to end the top of the fifth. Entering the sixth, Klueber stayed on for the River Hawks and retired the side in order, recording two consecutive strikeouts. However, Scott led off the sixth with a walk, and stole second, but the Big Green's defense once again prevented UMass Lowell from scoring. Dartmouth was able to erase the difference in the seventh, though, knocking two RBI singles to knot the game at 3–3.
With just two innings left for UMass Lowell, Melby Jr. made his first appearance, quickly striking out two before closing the top of the eighth with a putout at first. The River Hawks returned to the plate with one out, and sophomore Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) delivered with a single past third base before Scott reached on his third walk of the game. Chance came up next with one out, but ripped a clutch RBI single to score Cali and give the River Hawks a 4–3 lead in the eighth. DeMaro took the mound in the final frame and made quick work of the opposition, fanning one batter before forcing back-to-back flyouts to capture the 4–3 victory over Dartmouth.
The River Hawks prepare for their third conference series of the season this weekend at UAlbany, beginning on Thursday, April 2, in Albany, N.Y. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Varsity Field.
