STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Junior Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) registered a hit and an RBI in the contest, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (16–25) fell in its first meeting this season against Stony Brook (18–25), 11–1, in seven innings at Joe Nathan Field on Saturday.
Redshirt sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) went 2-for-4 at the plate, while sophomore Brayden Cali (Taunton, Mass.) recorded a hit and a run in the game. Starting on the mound, junior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) pitched 3.0 innings, and freshman Josh Doney (Lynn, Mass.) came in relief in the contest, tossing 2.1 innings.
After the Seawolves began strong defensively, the home side got on the board during the opening inning, claiming a 1–0 lead early in the game. The River Hawks faced two outs in the second, but junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) kept the top half alive with a single to center field, however Stony Brook stayed connected on defense to get out of the inning. After Mucciarone left the opposition scoreless in the second, O'Leary looked to get UMass Lowell's offense rolling with a two-out base hit, but the Seawolves defense once again locked in to get the third out of the frame. In the bottom of the third, Stony Brook tallied two more runs, adding to its lead for an early 3–0 advantage.
The River Hawks stayed aggressive at the plate heading into the fourth, with Donahue drawing a walk, and graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) following up with a single. The Seawolves shut the door defensively again though, stranding both runners moving into the bottom of the fourth. Although sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) came in in relief in the fourth and fanned the first batter he faced, Stony Brook eventually capitalized on a double, plating three runs to push the home side's lead to 6–0. The fifth inning was quick for both sides, as Doney stepped to the mound, and left the Seawolves hitless in the frame. UMass Lowell entered the sixth inning hungry for runs, as Cali opened with a leadoff single before senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) worked a walk. Donahue, up next, made contact on the fourth pitch, and knocked a single to right field, driving Cali home for the first run for the River Hawks, 6–1. The Seawolves quickly collected three outs, though, limiting the damage done by UMass Lowell.
Although Stony Brook responded well at the plate in the bottom of the sixth, posting two runs to extend the difference to 8–1, senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) drilled a one-out double to right-center in the top of the seventh, putting a runner in scoring position. The visitors were unable to drive him home, sending the game to the bottom of the seventh, where the Seawolves pulled away late, scoring three more runs to claim an 11–1, seven-inning outcome on Saturday.
The River Hawks are back Sunday, May 3, for the second and final matchup against Stony Brook at Joe Nathan Field. The contest is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. in Stony Brook, N.Y.
