River Hawks Claim Series with Doubleheader Sweep Over Maine

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ORONO, Maine – The UMass Lowell baseball team defeated the Maine Black Bears in both ends of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond. The River Hawks took the first game on a 1-0 blank sheet and completed the doubleheader sweep with a solid 10-3 performance in game two.

With the 3-1 weekend, UMass Lowell surpasses Maine in the Division A standings with a conference record of 14-16, while the Black Bears drop to 11-14 in league action.

Rookie, Jimmy Sullivan (East Hampton, Conn.) showed up for the visitors with a team-leading .500 batting average on four hits, including a double and a triple. Sophomore Keagan Calero (Rochester, N.H.) added two hits of his own for a .500 showing, as well. Redshirt-senior Cam Climo (Billerica Mass.) clocked a .875 slugging percentage with six total bases while leading the team with four RBI.

“We played really good baseball all weekend long,” commented Head Coach Ken Harring. “After a very tough opening loss, the guys responded and we are now in the thick of the playoff hunt. Our final two weekends are at home and we are looking forward to it.”

Redshirt-senior Collin Duffley (Manchester, N.H.) dominated from start to finish on the mound in the opener where he allowed only one Maine batter to reach third base. In seven innings of work, the New Hampshire native gave up just two hits while striking out six for his third career complete shutout.

The only run of the game came early on in the top of the second when Sullivan led off with his first career triple, forcing one out to right and into foul territory to put himself in prime scoring position. Sophomore Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) stepped up next, sending one deep into right to provide Sullivan just enough time to beat the throw down and make a diving sweep across the plate for the 1-0 tally.

Defense was the name of the game from there on out, highlighted by five innings of work from the infield trio of Rose, freshman Roddy Hernandez (Jersey City, N.J.), and senior Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.). Hernandez led the contest with five helpers at second, while rose took over third, making three long throws over to Castellanos who matched his career-high of 12 putouts. Senior Vinnie Martin (Lodi, N.J.) was a solid presence in the outfield, making two grabs in right.

Maine received a strong pitching performance from Alex McKenney who allowed two hits and one run while striking out five over his full game. The two Black Bear hits were singles off the bat from Sean Lawlor in the home half of the fourth and seventh, however, they wouldn’t be enough as the River Hawks snagged their first shutout victory of the 2021 season.

The visitors scored the contest’s first seven runs, including five in the third inning, to take control early and coast to a nightcap victory. Starting junior Joshua Becker (Burlington, Mass.) allowed two runs in five innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters, fanning six-straight over the first three innings.

Rallying on two outs in the top of the third, sophomore Jonny Gilbride (Beverly, Mass.) would make his way around the bases after being hit by a pitch and advancing to third on a Calero single to the opposite field. Although, it would be Castellanos to provide the spark on an 0-2 count, driving one into right for the two-run base hit. Not stopping there, a three-run bomb over the left fence from Climo would bring in Castellanos and Martin, who had previously been walked, for the 5-0 cushion.

The River Hawks added two more security runs in the sixth on a RBI single to shallow right from sophomore Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) and a fielder’s choice bunt from Hernandez to open up a 7-0 lead for the visiting squad. Answering in the bottom, Scout Knotts and Lawlor eventually put the Black Bears on the board with a double and single on the only runs Becker allowed all day.

Castellanos pushed the River Hawk advantage to 8-2 with his third RBI single in the seventh, however, the Black Bears would get another one back in the home half of the eighth on a sac fly to center.

Snagging their seven-run lead back for good, the River Hawks added their final two tallies in the ninth on a shot to left off the hands of Climo for an RBI double, followed by a RBI single laced into left by Sullivan to put the game out of reach, 10-3. Gilbride would make the final out in highlight fashion, stretching to reach a Maine ball punched into the left-field foul territory.

Up next, the River Hawks will finish out their regular-season schedule at home, welcoming UAlbany on May 15 and 16, followed by a closing matchup with the Hawks on May 21 and 22.