SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (3-6) pulled off the late comeback to best San Francisco (7-7), 6-4, in the third game of the series at Benedetti Diamond on Sunday afternoon.
"A really impressive team win," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "Jette was nails, pitched around some adversity early, and did a great job helping our bullpen. Geisler was huge out of relief and Carlos did great in his first appearance on the mound. Offensively, the same story…really big 2 out hits, especially from Masse and Solorzano."
Junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) added a hit, a run, and an RBI, while graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) posted a double and an RBI. On the bump, senior Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.) went 6.0 innings, tying his career-high in strikeouts with four, along with earning his first win of the season. Sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) pitched 2.0 innings with three hits, no runs, and three strikeouts, while senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) took the mound for the first time in his collegiate career, going 1.0 inning with a strikeout to earn a save, as well as recording a hit and a run while at the plate.
Chance led off for the River Hawks, knocking a single to right field, but the Dons locked in defensively to head to the home half of the first. Jette punched out the first two batters faced, eventually closing the frame on an unassisted out at third. In the second inning, San Francisco took a 2-0 lead after scoring two runs on a triple to right field, but the River Hawks stepped up to the challenge, getting out of the inning before posting a clear third frame to send the game to the fourth.
With one out, redshirt-sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) and Masse both drew walks before Solorzano was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) waited patiently at bat, eventually taking advantage of four straight balls, recording an RBI to cut the lead to one. Next up, junior Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) stroked a single right up the middle, plating Masse to tie the ball game at 2-2 after four. With momentum on their side, the River Hawks put together a strong fifth inning as Chance reached on a walk and graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) singled past the shortstop. Although the Dons registered an out on a fielder's choice, Chance moved to third before scoring on a balk for the first lead of the game for the River Hawks, 3-2. Jette continued his strong appearance, closing the door for San Francisco with a swinging strikeout in the home half of the fifth.
The Dons were searching for runs late in the contest, collecting two on a single in the sixth to regain the lead at 4-3. The River Hawks responded in the seventh, as senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) began the inning with a double down the left field line. Although the senior was soon thrown out on a fielder's choice, Burgos used his wheels, stealing second before advancing home off of two errors to once again even the score, this time at 4-4. Moments later, O'Leary walked, and Martinez cracked a single, before a hit from Masse and Solorzano drove both runners home, pushing the UMass Lowell lead to 6-4 in the visitors' half of the seventh. Geisler was dialed in when the pitcher entered in the seventh, collecting two big strikeouts to keep San Francisco from adding to its score.
Although the home side allowed no runs in the eighth for the River Hawks, UMass Lowell's defense remained focused, ending the frame on a groundout. As San Francisco made one final comeback attempt in the ninth inning, Martinez stepped to the mound, shutting the door for the Dons after clutching up with a punch out to earn a save, and secure the 6-4 victory Sunday afternoon.
The River Hawks return to Benedetti Diamond tomorrow, March 9, for the series finale against San Francisco. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
