River Hawks Blank UAlbany, 4-0 in AE Championship

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River Hawks Blank UAlbany, 4-0, in America East Postseason Debut

ORONO, Maine – Behind Andrew Ryan’s (Rochester, Mass.) complete-game shutout, the UMass Lowell baseball advanced in the America East Championship winner’s bracket with the program’s first Division I postseason win, a 4-0 victory against UAlbany on Thursday afternoon.

The senior struck out seven batters, including the final out, and scattered five hits for the River Hawks (25-27) third straight victory. Three of the Great Danes’ (20-27) base knocks came in the first two innings, and at one point Ryan retired 13 of 14 batters to stifle UAlbany’s bats.

Freshman Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) broke the scoreless draw in the bottom of the second with a single then went thru the legs of the left fielder and rolled to the wall to score Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) from first base.

The Great Danes had runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings but could not score thanks a strike him out, throw him out double play in the opening frame and a 5-4-3 double play started by Castellanos in the second. They had two out with no outs in the third, but Ryan induced a pair of fly outs and recorded a strikeout to end the threat.

After that jam, Ryan was able to settle down and sat down the next five batters.

Castellanos continued his big day with a RBI triple in the seventh to add insurance, as the freshman drove in Climo once again. Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.) blooped a single into right field to make it a three-run cushion.

Following a Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) double in the eighth, Climo took advantage and singled home the junior for UMass Lowell’s fourth run.

The duo of Climo and Castellanos combined for four hits, three runs, and two RBI, while Passatempo reached base three times.

Neither team had to use their bullpen as UAlbany’s Jack McClure pitched eight innings and struck out six.

The River Hawks take on Hartford tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. The winner will advance to the America East Championship on Saturday.