BALTIMORE, Md. – Freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a run, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (15–19, 6–8 AE) battled UMBC (17–16, 6–5 AE) to even the weekend series with a 9–7, 10-inning win in game two on Saturday at Alumni Field.
"One of the better wins for the team all year," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "So many guys off the bench that had a huge impact on the game. Our bullpen did an incredible job. Great complete effort today."
Senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) batted 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in the contest. Also posting multi-hit performances, senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) knocked two hits with a run, while senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) tallied two hits with a double. Out of the bullpen, sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) pitched 4.2 innings with two strikeouts, leaving the opposition scoreless in his outing. Also pitching in game two, senior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) went 4.0 innings with three strikeouts to collect his first win of the season, as freshman Josh Doney (Lynn, Mass.) registered a strikeout and earned the first save of his collegiate career.
The Rover Hawks went to work at the dish right away on the top of the first, as redshirt-sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) drew a walk before Martinez followed with a two-out single. Graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) then stroked a single through the left side to plate O'Leary for the first run of the game. UMBC answered immediately, though, using three singles to bring in four runs and create a 4-1 edge. After DeLanzo and O'Leary each hit a single in the top of the second, senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) bunted for a base hit before DeLanzo tagged home on an error to close the difference to 4–2. Chance would then drill the ball to left-center, bringing in two runs to tie the game for UMass Lowell at 4–4. Burgos, already off to a good start, added his second RBI of the game on a groundout, putting the River Hawks back in front, 5–4. Although the Retrievers loaded the bases in the next half-inning, Geisler escaped with a groundout to the shortstop. .
The score remained unchanged in the third, and although Chance reached on a two-out walk and stole second in the top of the fourth, UMBC extinguished the opportunity. After Geisler worked two scoreless frames, the home team used an RBI double in the sixth to even the score at 5–5, but Foley entered and wrapped up the inning with a strikeout. The seventh was scoreless once again for either team, as the River Hawks came up to bat in the eighth, leading off with a walk by graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), who then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.). Off the bench, junior Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) delivered a key pinch-hit double that plated a run, giving UMass Lowell a 6–5 edge. UMBC responded in the same inning with an RBI single to even the score before Foley recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Both teams battled in the ninth, but the frame came up empty, as UMass Lowell ended on a double play and headed to extra innings. Junior Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) opened the tenth with a big one-out triple down the right-field line, and DeLanzo followed with a go-ahead single to score the junior for a 7–6 advantage. The offense stayed hot as Chance ripped a two-out single on the fourth pitch to bring in another run, and the River Hawks also capitalized on a wild pitch to build a 9–6 lead in the top of the 10th. Despite UMass Lowell recording two outs in the inning, UMBC managed to add a run, but Doney replaced Foley and closed it out with a strikeout to earn a save in a 9–7, 10th-inning victory against the Retrievers in game two on Saturday.
The River Hawks return Sunday, April 19, for the series finale against UMBC at Alumni Field. The contest is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in Baltimore, Md.
