LOWELL, Mass. – Graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) had a great day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run and a double, while also posting four RBI and two runs in the contest, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (20–29, 10–14 AE) fell in its regular-season finale, 13–12, in a hard-fought battle against Binghamton (28–20, 17–7 AE) at Edward A. LeLacheur Park on Sunday.
Senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, while junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) knocked two hits with two RBI and two runs, and sophomore Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run and an RBI in the game. Getting the start on the mound, junior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout and two hits allowed.
After Mucciarone began the game retiring the side with three straight groundouts, UMass Lowell started strong on offense following walks by redshirt sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) and Masse, who both advanced on a wild pitch. Freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) came to the plate with runners in scoring position and knocked a single into right field to drive in the first run of the game, while Martinez followed with an RBI base hit to push the lead to 2-0. In the top of the second, Mucciarone struck out a batter before senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) made a clutch double play to end the frame. In the third, the River Hawks kept the visitors off the board yet again, bringing their side back to the plate. Despite the Bearcats getting two quick outs in the bottom of the third, a pair of singles by Martinez and Solorzano gave UMass Lowell a chance to score, as Martinez capitalized on a passed ball, extending the lead to 3–0.
Binghamton got into rhythm on offense, recording four runs in the fourth to take its first lead of the day. After getting the third out, the River Hawks continued their strong offensive outing, as two-out base hits from senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) and O'Leary kept them alive in the bottom of the fourth. Masse followed in the order and delivered a clutch two-run single to give UMass Lowell the lead back, 5–4. The Bearcats refused to back down, though, scoring a pair of runs to regain a one-run advantage. UMass Lowell, looking to jump back in front, led off with a single by Martinez before Solorzano crushed the ball over the right field wall for a huge two-run homer to make it 7–6.
In the sixth, Binghamton once again added two runs to own an 8-7 advantage. The River Hawks, however, answered instantly after Masse and graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) each tallied a single, and Martinez walked, setting up Solorzano with the bases loaded, who ripped a two-run double to help the home side regain the lead once again, 9–8. Keeping the offense rolling, Cali added an RBI while DeLanzo recorded a sacrifice fly, extending UMass Lowell's lead to 11–8.
Following a scoreless and hitless frame by both sides in the seventh, the Bearcats locked in and delivered a four-run rally to jump ahead, 12–11. With time slipping away, the River Hawks started a late push as Cali singled, stole second, and advanced to third on an error. Junior Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) then produced in the clutch situation, dropping down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Cali to score and tie the game 12–12 in the eighth. Despite UMass Lowell tying it up, Binghamton answered with a sacrifice fly in the ninth for the go-ahead run, ultimately earning a 13-12 victory in the regular-season finale on Sunday.
The River Hawks now prepare for the 2026 America East Baseball Championship with the team set to play their first match on Wednesday, May 20, against No.4 Bryant in Vestal, N.Y. The first pitch is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex.
