UMass Lowell BB: River Hawks Sweep Sunday Series Against UMBC

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BALTIMORE—The UMass Lowell baseball team closed out its four-game series against UMBC Sunday afternoon, picking up a pair of 13-7 and 6-4 wins at Alumni Field. The River Hawks closed out the weekend with a 3-1 run against the Retrievers, moving to a 4-9 (3-1 AE) season mark.

Junior Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) led the River Hawks through their first game with a team-high four RBIs and a pair of runs. Sophomore Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) was close behind for UMass Lowell, bringing in three runners and scoring a run in the River Hawks’ 13-7 opener.

“It was a really gutty weekend for us. Everyone contributed to our success. After losing a tough game 1, we showed our resiliency and stayed the course,” said Head Coach Ken Harring. “Our bats came alive, and we had a lot of big hits at key moments.”

The River Hawks opened up game one with a pair of runs in the first inning, with junior Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) getting walked in and senior Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.Y.) crossing home off a hit by Siracusa. The Retrievers bounced back to overtake the UMass Lowell lead with four runs to close out the inning.

Castellanos tripled to center to bring in Gallagher and cut the UMBC lead to just one. The Retrievers kept their lead alive with a run in the third before a four-run fourth from the River Hawks pushed them to a 7-5 advantage.

Two back-to-back one-run innings for UMBC locked up the teams heading into the seventh inning, but the River Hawks rallied, scoring six runs off a trio of RBI singles from Gallagher, Castellanos, and freshman Jimmy Sullivan (East Hampton, Conn.) and a three-RBI double by Siracusa to close out game one with a 13-7 mark.

Junior Joshua Becker (Burlington, Mass.) and senior Henry Funaro (Lowell, Mass.) split time on the mound, with Funaro claiming his first win of the season. The right-handed duo struck out eight Retriever batters, with Becker knocking down two and Funaro six.

Redshirt senior Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) brought in a team-high three runners and earned one of his own for the River Hawks in game two. Rose continued his Sunday success into the second clash, knocking out a home run and recording two RBIs.

After three scoreless innings to open game two, Climo opened the scoring for the River Hawks, blasting a home run and bringing in senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) to earn a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Rose then singled to center, bringing in Siracusa to stretch the margin to 3-0 over UMBC.

The team traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings, with UMass Lowell maintaining a three-run advantage thanks to a Climo RBI single and a Rose homer.

Castellanos doubled down the left-field line, bringing in Gallagher in the seventh to push the River Hawks to a 6-4 lead.

Despite two late runs by the Retrievers in the final innings of game two, UMass Lowell held off the UMBC comeback to sweep the Sunday series.

Five pitchers—freshman Fortuna (Newburyport, Mass.), senior Ryan Towle (Westfield, Mass.), sophomore Miles Cota (Hampstead, N.C.), freshman Michael Quigley (Halifax, Mass.), and sophomore Garret Roberts (Stratham, N.H.)—split time on the mound for the River Hawks in game two, striking out nine total runners.

“I am very proud of what we did this weekend. We will enjoy the bus ride and get back to work on Tuesday to prepare for Binghamton,” remarked Harring.

The River Hawks continue their road stand with a pair of games against Binghamton on Saturday, March 27, and Sunday, March 28 at the Bearcats Sports Complex. First pitch for both contests is set for 12 p.m.