LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) put together a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs in the contest, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (12–17, 4–6 AE) secured a dominant game one victory, 11–2, over NJIT (10—18, 2–8 AE) at Edward A. LeLacheur Park on Friday night.
UMass Lowell totaled 12 hits in the game, with seven different River Hawks recording at least one RBI and seven scoring at least one run. Graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs and an RBI, while graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) posted two hits in the game with two RBI and a run. Starting on the bump, junior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) collected his second victory of the season, pitching 5.1 innings with four strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed in his outing. Senior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) came in the game in relief, going 1.2 innings with four strikeouts and no hits or runs. Sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) and graduate student Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.) each went an inning, both leaving the opposition scoreless.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first that ended with a punchout from Mucciarone, the River Hawks led off the home half of the frame with a single by Chance. Senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) followed with z single of his own down the left field line, driving in Chance for the first score of the game. Redshirt sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) walked next before Burgos added another RBI single for the River Hawks, making it an early 2–0 lead. The scoring didn't stop for UMass Lowell though, as Solorzano cracked a two-run double down the right field line, pushing the difference to four, 4–0, in the first. Mucciarone made it quick for the opposition in the second, tossing two strikeouts in the frame before an out at home by Chance closed the top half. The Highlanders did eventually capitalize on a scoring opportunity, though, recording a one-run single for a 4–1 margin in the top of the third.
After responding with a great defensive effort in the fourth, UMass Lowell was looking to continue its good start at the plate, but NJIT once again shut down any opportunities, closing the home half of the fourth. A escaping a bases-loaded situation in the top half, sophomore Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) advanced on base and then stole second before Chance reached on a walk to begin the bottom of the fifth. Next to the plate, Scott laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position, setting up O'Leary who added a sac fly, stretching the lead back to four runs for UMass Lowell, 5–1. NJIT responded with a run the next inning, 5–2, but Foley entered the game, throwing a big swinging strikeout before ending on a fly out.
Although the River Hawks were unable to stay in rhythm on offense in the middle innings, the defense stood strong once again in the seventh as Foley recorded three punchouts in the frame. Geisler took over for Foley in the eighth and delivered a solid inning, preserving the score after finishing with a fielder's choice. In the bottom of the eighth, the River Hawks aimed to put the game away after Burgos and Solorzano led off with back-to-back singles. Senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) came up with one out and lined a single that the two runners home, before Chance added another two-run single to left-center, stretching UMass Lowell's lead to 9–2. After O'Leary worked a walk, senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) closed out the scoring with a two-run double, sealing an 11–2 River Hawks victory in game one on Friday night.
The River Hawks are back tomorrow, April 11, at Edward A. LeLacheur Park for game two of the series against the Highlanders. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Lowell, Mass.
