River Hawks No-Hit, But Win to Split

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River Hawks No-Hit, But Win to Split Doubleheader Against Maine

LOWELL, Mass. – For the second time in program history, the UMass Lowell baseball team was the victim of a no-hitter, but this time the River Hawks scored the only run of the contest to take game two and earn a split in the doubleheader.

Maine’s (11-24, 6-5) John Arel struck out 11 batters in game two, but a wild pitch in the third was the difference. The River Hawks (16-19, 7-7) held the lead two different times in the series opener, but the visitors pulled away in extra innings for the 9-4 victory.

Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.) led UMass Lowell on the day with two hits, two runs, and three stolen bases. The last time UMass Lowell was held without a hit occurred in 1977 against Eastern Connecticut.

GAME ONE
Behind a three-run home run from Danny Casals, the Black Bears put up five runs in the 10th to take the series opener, 9-4. Jeremy Pena broke the 4-4 deadlock with a single, and Casals took the 3-2 pitch over the fence in left.

The River Hawks entered the bottom of the eighth trailing 4-3, and a Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass. soft liner scored Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) to draw back even. Passatempo was hit and advanced to second on a wild pitch, before moving over to third on a sac bunt.

In the bottom of the ninth, UMass Lowell had its first two batter reach, but the next three batters could not deliver the game-winning hit.

The duo of Jack Riley (Worcester, Mass.) and Nick Rand (Hyde Park, N.Y.) combined for 12 strikeouts.

Both teams got on the scoreboard in the second, as Maine jumped out to a one-run lead on a bases-loaded walk with two outs. After Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.) singled to keep the UMass Lowell inning alive, two wild pitches and a passed ball allowed him to cross the plate to draw even.

The senior gave the hosts their first lead of the contest with an RBI grounder with runners on second and third in the fourth. Prada added a stolen base in the inning, but the River Hawks could not extend their advantage.

The Black Bears came right back with a run in the top of the fifth with a two-out single, following a double earlier in the frame. Russ Olive (Chelmsford, Mass.) snuck a single past the drawn-in infield to score Climo as UMass Lowell retook the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the frame.

In the top of the sixth, Maine’s Hernen Sardinas sent a two-run single to right field with two outs to put the visitors on top 4-3.

GAME TWO
After a scoreless two and a half innings, Prada scored on his second wild pitch of the day, as the River Hawks took a 1-0 in the third inning.

Prada began the inning with a walk and stole second and third to move 90 feet away and take advantage of the miscue.

The Black Bears had runners on in every inning except the final two, including a two-on, no-out opportunity in the fifth. The threat was quickly erased with a strikeout, caught stealing double play and a leaping grab by Joey Castellanos(Nutley, N.J.) at shortstop.

Andrew Ryan (Rochester, Mass.) picked up his second consecutive week, while Luke Tomczyk (Chili, N.Y.) earned his first save of the season.

The rubber game of the series is set for tomorrow at 12 p.m.