VESTAL, N.Y. – Redshirt sophomore Sean O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) posted a hit in today's contest, as the fifth-seeded UMass Lowell baseball team (21–31) fell to the Binghamton Bearcats (29-20), 3-0, before falling to the UMBC Retrievers (29-23), 8-0, on day two of the America East Championship.
"It is always hard to end a season without a championship, but there's no doubt about it, we took a step forward this year as a program," said Head Coach Nick Barese. "The guys who finished their careers as a River Hawk mean so much to this program and coaching staff. They left UML baseball better off than when they got here."
Starting against the Bearcats, senior Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.) pitched 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and three earned runs. In relief, graduate student Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.) went 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout and one hit. Against UMBC, sophomore Nolan Geisler (Bayonne, N.J.) got the start, going 3.0 innings with a strikeout. Out of the bullpen, sophomore Jake LeFrancois (Worcester, Mass.) pitched 3.0 innings with one earned run, while freshmen Tyler Dunlea (Attleboro, Mass.) and Josh Doney (Lynn, Mass.) each pitched 1.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
The opening inning was quiet for both teams, as Jette got off to a good start on the mound for the River Hawks, registering two early strikeouts in the frame. In the second, graduate student Nicholas Solorzano (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) was the first to reach base for UMass Lowell after drawing a walk, before the catcher moved on an error and then advanced on a groundout. However, Binghamton escaped the threat before finding its rhythm offensively, plating two runs for an early 2–0 advantage. The Bearcats then added another run in the third inning to extend the lead to 3–0.
To begin the fourth inning, O'Leary drew a leadoff walk, and Solorzano added a one-out single before both runners advanced into scoring position on a groundout. The Bearcats were locked in, though, and recorded the final out. Jette continued his outing on the mound and retired the side in order with a strikeout to keep the score the same through four. Jette handled the bottom of the fifth with confidence, keeping the home side from extending their lead, setting up a great opportunity for the River Hawks to push runs across in the sixth. Junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) and O'Leary each drew walks and eventually found themselves in scoring position. The Bearcats, however, shut the inning down with two straight outs. In the bottom of the sixth, Jette worked through another frame, collecting two big strikeouts and a groundout to cap off the inning.
DeMaro entered in relief in the seventh and cruised through the opposition after walking the first batter, keeping the score unchanged. The River Hawks searched for late momentum as O'Leary hit a two-out single and senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) ripped a double in the eighth, but the Bearcats preserved their lead by recording the inning's final out. DeMaro stayed on the mound and kept Binghamton off the board once again, guiding the defense through a quick eighth inning while adding a strikeout. In UMass Lowell's final trip to the plate, junior Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) came in as a pinch hitter and delivered a single, but the Bearcats stranded the junior and sealed a 3–0 decision in game three of the America East Baseball Championship.
Entering the second game of the day in the double-elimination bracket, UMass Lowell looked to start strong against UMBC but was turned away during its first at-bats and left scoreless. Although Geisler recorded a strikeout for the second out in the bottom of the first, the Retrievers were able to take advantage as they posted two runs for an early 2–0 lead. UMBC kept the River Hawks off the board again in the second, before adding another run across to make it a three-run game after three innings.
Senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) kicked off the third with the first hit of the game for UMass Lowell before junior Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) reached on a fielder's choice and advanced on a wild pitch, but the UMBC defense stood strong, recording the final out of the inning to escape the jam. Geisler, beginning to get into rhythm, left the opposition scoreless in the bottom of the third to bring his squad back to the plate. UMBC, however, plated five runs in the fourth, extending the lead to 8-0.
Although Strand knocked a single in the top of the fifth, UMBC shut down the inning shortly after by forcing a lineout. LeFrancois mounted a solid defensive frame in the bottom of the fifth and the sixth to keep the score the same heading into the seventh. The River Hawks stayed aggressive at the plate, but the Retrievers continued the strong defensive outing, getting three outs to send the game to the home half of the frame. Dunlea, taking over in the bottom of the seventh, wasted no time, collecting a pair of punchouts to get his team back to the plate. UMBC stood strong, not allowing the River Hawks to cross the plate in the final two innings, while adding another score in the eighth, sealing a 9–0 outcome.
