UMass Lowell Baseball: River Hawks Earn Friday Split with Maine

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LOWELL, Mass. — The UMass Lowell Baseball team split an America East doubleheader with visiting Maine, on Friday afternoon at LeLacheur Park, bouncing back from an 11-7 opening setback with a 5-1 game-two victory.

The River Hawks now stand at 9-20 on the year including an 8-12 mark in conference action, while the Black Bears are set at 13-10 overall and 8-7 in league play.

Junior Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) boasted a 1.000 slugging percentage that included a double and three hits on four attempts, in addition to a team-leading two RBI. Classmate Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) also turned in a multiple-hit day with a .444 average. Freshman Michael Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) went the distance in game one with six strikeouts, while sophomore Cam Seguin (Woburn, Mass.) picked up his third win of the year with six tallies, as well.

In game one against the Black Bears, the River Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their first chance at the offense as redshirt-senior Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) doubled to left center, bringing home Siracusa and senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.), who had picked up his first hit of the day off a single shot to left. Although, the advantage was short-lived as the Black Bears would counter on their next trip to the plate, rallying for six runs on four hits to snag the second inning lead.

The visitors would tack on another three in the top of the third off a two-run homer by Ryan Turenne, deepening the deficit, 9-2. However, the River Hawks would get one back in the home half after sophomore Jiovel Lantigua (Spring Hill, Fla.) pushed the ball into right, causing a miscue by the Black Bear defense to send in freshman Jimmy Sullivan (East Hampton, Conn.), who had led off with a double into left.

With neither team being able to collect on their chances in the fourth, the River Hawks would gain momentum again in the fifth after newbie Roddy Hernandez (Jersey City, N.J.) sent one up the middle to bring in sophomore Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) for his first career RBI.

UMass Lowell would threaten again in the sixth, after singles by Lantigua and senior Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) and a walk by Gallagher, however, the late attack wasn’t enough as the Black Bears walked away with the 11-7 victory.

To start the second game, the River Hawks would come out swinging yet again, thanks to a Sullivan single to right, which brought in Martin who had previously been walked. Maine would leave one on base in the second, as Climo showed his athleticism in right field, to come up with the catch that ended the inning and kept the visitors off the scoreboard.

The home team pushed its buffer in the third when Hernandez scored on a ball put into play by Gallagher. Martin would follow with a shot of his own to left to bring in the third baseman, for a 3-0 advantage.

Both sides combined for six runners left on through the next two innings, with the Black Bears leaving two in the top of the fifth. Finding more chances in the sixth, Siracusa would add his first RBI of the day, plating pinch-runner Keagan Calero (Rochester, N.H.) for a 4-0 lead.

Maine would see their lone run in the top of the eighth off their second home run of the day, however, the UMass Lowell River Hawks would see their final blow in the home half off another RBI single by Siracusa to secure the 5-1 nightcap.

The River Hawks will wrap up their weekend series against the Black Bears tomorrow afternoon, with the first pitch slated for 12 p.m.