VESTAL, N.Y. – Graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) was clutch at the plate today, going 4-for-6 including two doubles and a home run, while also posting three RBI and a run in the contest, as the fifth-seeded UMass Lowell baseball team (21–29) secured a gritty 7–5 extra-inning victory over the fourth-seeded Bryant (27-25) in game one of the America East Baseball Championship at the Bearcats Baseball Complex.
After a scoreless tenth inning for both sides, the hard-fought contest stretched into the eleventh inning, with junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) getting the offense started with a two-out single. Moments later, O'Leary reached base on an error, setting up Martinez, who delivered a two-run double to center for a two-run lead. The River Hawks weren't done, though, as Solorzano unleashed a two-run shot over the right field wall to push the score to 7–3 in the eleventh. Trying to extend the game, Bryant loaded the bases in the home half of the inning and brought home two runs, but LeFrancois recorded a crucial strikeout before a fly out clinched a 7–5 win over the Bulldogs in game one of the America East Baseball Championship.
"Great game," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "The first day of the tournament, if you're not the one or the two seed it's always pretty stressful knowing that it's win or go home. Obviously, when we're playing a really good team like Bryant, we knew we had to come in here and wouldn't be able to make a lot of mistakes and just have to play clean baseball. Overall, we did a really good job of that. Mucciarone was fantastic. Foley got us out of a pretty big jam. Same thing with Geisler, and then LeFrancois to shut the door in the end. Then defensively, I thought we were really tough, and made a lot of really good plays. Obviously, the one that stands out is Martinez, and I thought Zach Scott had a really nice play. We had a couple nice relays from the outfield. We talked all year about how big we needed to be situationally and clutch hitting, and Carlos and Solorzano were unbelievable. So, it was a great win, and I'm just looking forward to the next one."
Six River Hawks recorded a multi-hit game, as UMass Lowell knocked 17 hits in the contest. Freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) went 3-for-6 at the plate with a run, while senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) knocked two hits with a double, adding three RBI and a run. Redshirt sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) also tallied two hits with a homer, two runs scored, and an RBI in the game. Junior Alfred Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass.) started against the Bulldogs, pitching 7.0 innings with four strikeouts and three earned runs allowed. Out of the bullpen, senior Brian Foley (Milton, Mass.) went 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, while sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) threw 2.0 innings with three strikeouts and two earned runs to pick up his fourth win of the season. Closing out the win, sophomore Jake LeFrancois (Worcester, Mass.) pitched 0.2 innings with a strikeout to earn his third save of the season.
UMass Lowell came out firing to start the contest, as Chance and Masse each tallied a single before O'Leary loaded the bases on a walk. Martinez followed, driving Chance home on a groundout before Solorzano added to the score, knocking a big double down the right-field line to put his squad on top, 2-0. Mucciarone took the mound in the bottom half of the first and made quick work of the opposition, collecting three straight outs. The second inning flew by for both sides, as the Bulldogs recorded a hit, but Mucciarone stood strong, striking out the next batter before collecting back-to-back outs to end the frame. After Mucciarone handled Bryant's offense with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, the River Hawks were eager to push the score, but the Bulldogs stayed connected on defense to end the top of the fourth. The Bulldogs looked to strike, placing two on base in the bottom half of the frame, but Solorzano showed great hustle, recording an out at second, along with an unreal diving catch by Martinez to help close the inning.
In the fifth, UMass Lowell's offense began to heat up again, as they recorded two hits in the inning, but were unable to take advantage, as Bryant forced a groundout to keep the two-run difference. Mucciarone, however, continued his dominant outing with a clean fifth inning, throwing consecutive strikeouts to close the frame. The sixth went scoreless for both teams, with Mucciarone holding it down yet again on the mound, registering a strikeout swinging in the inning. Back at the plate, the River Hawks struck, as O'Leary, unfazed with a two-strike count, launched a solo home run over the right field wall for a 3–0 advantage in the seventh. The Bulldogs, looking to respond, recorded three runs in the bottom of the seventh to even the score at three apiece.
Out of the bullpen in the eighth, Foley wasted no time hitting his groove, striking out the first batter faced before registering another strikeout for the final out of the inning. Looking to put his team back on top, Chance started the ninth with a base hit and later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but UMass Lowell was unable to capitalize. The Bulldogs put together one final push with two runners reaching base in the bottom of the ninth, but Geisler entered and retired the final batters on a flyout and groundout, setting up the thrilling, extra-innings finish.
The River Hawks prepare for the next round of the America East Baseball Championship on Thursday, May 20, at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, N.Y. The opponent and time are still to be determined for tomorrow's contest.
