SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-5 at bat with five runs and four RBI, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (2-6) took an 18-7 victory over San Francisco (7-6) in game two on Saturday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.
"Really impressive performance from the offense," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "The stat line speaks for itself, but what it doesn't show is how tough each guy made it for the opposing pitchers. 13 two strike hits, 2 strike, 2 out RBI's, situational hitting. It was an all around great day for the offense. Solorzano and Masse had fantastic days at the plate. On the mound, Foley went out and gave us another great start, he's always so competitive. Melby came in and killed their momentum in a really big spot at the time. Nice to be back in the win column."
Seven River Hawks posted a multi-hit performance today, as UMass Lowell tied its Division I record for most hits in a single game with 22, matching their performance on April 15, 2022, when the team posted 22 hits versus Hartford in a 20-4 victory. Alongside tying the UMass Lowell Division I record for hits in a game, the River Hawks established a new DI program record for singles in a contest with 18. Graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) went 4-for-6 at the plate with four RBI, as redshirt-sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) knocked three hits including a home run with four runs and two RBI. Freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.), senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.), junior Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.), and senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) each tallied two hits in the game. Junior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) got the start on the bump, pitching 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts, while graduate student Will Melby Jr. (Munster, Ind.) went 0.1 innings with a strikeout, collecting his first victory as a River Hawk. Freshman Josh Doney (Lynn, Mass.) appeared in 2.0 innings, registering a strikeout with one earned run.
Chance and graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) both drew walks to open the game, before O'Leary reached on an error, loading the bases right away for the River Hawks in the first inning. Patient at the plate, senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) drew a walk to drive in the first run of the game, setting up Masse, who smacked a two-run single past the shortstop for a 3-0 lead, before Solorzano added one more run with a single to right center. The Dons switched pitchers, but that didn't stop Scott from adding to the score, as the infielder drove in Masse on a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.
Foley was strong through the first two innings, adding four early strikeouts as well as holding San Francisco scoreless, closing the second on a swinging strikeout. In the third, Masse ripped a single before stealing second, which led to another RBI single by Solorzano, pushing the difference to 6-0. Staying strong on the mound, Foley once again kept the opposition off the board while striking out the final batter to close the fourth. Leading off the fifth, O'Leary waited for the right pitch, blasting the ball high to center field for a solo home run, increasing UMass Lowell's lead to 7-0. The Dons responded with four runs in the bottom half, but Melby Jr., who entered the game for Foley, was unfazed, as the graduate student recorded a big strikeout to wrap up the fifth.
The River Hawks entered the sixth inning picking up where they left off, as Strand fought the full count to walk. Chance made the most of the opportunity, as the freshman drove Strand home on a single to center field for an 8-4 lead. Senior Liam Rose (Voorhees, N.J.), relieving Melby Jr., collected three quick outs in the bottom of the sixth before setting up O'Leary with a leadoff single in the seventh. Next up, Masse added a single, and Scott walked, as the River Hawks crowded the bases yet again. Strand extended the lead with a two-run single down the right field line before the junior and Scott each stole a base, with Scott tagging home shortly after to make it an 11-4 lead. San Francisco kept fighting, though, adding a home run for two runs in the seventh.
The hit parade continued late in the game for the River Hawks, as Chance, Burgos, O'Leary, Martinez, and Masse strung together five straight singles, extending their squad's lead to 14-6. Moments later, Scott added another single before Strand ripped a double to make it a 10-run game, 16-6. Looking to rally, San Francisco added one more run in the home half of the inning, but a pair of runs for the visitors in the top of the ninth sealed the decisive, 18-7 victory.
The River Hawks are back in action tomorrow, March 8, for game three against San Francisco at Benedetti Stadium. The contest is set to start at 4:00 p.m. ET.
