UMass Lowell slug their way to a 14-2 win over Dartmouth

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Mid-week games can be tricky and every coach goes into these games with a plan. Sometimes the plan goes just the way you want it, sometimes it does not. Tuesday afternoon at Lelacheur Park, the plan went right for the UMass Lowell River Hawks (9-16). They scored in five of their eight at-bats, banged out 12 hits, and got pretty good pitching throughout. It added up to a 14-2 win over Dartmouth Big Green (10-12).

Freshman Brendan Holland made his collegiate debut on the mound for the River Hawks. He allowed a first-inning run in the five innings he worked. His coach, Ken Herring said, “he does have three pitches that he can use, and throws them for strikes.” Holland (2-1) threw 72 pitches in his first start and he could have gone back out there for the sixth, but there was no need. His teammates gave him enough run support to allow others to finish the game. The only run Holland gave up came in the first inning. After getting a double-play ball with a runner on, Holland surrendered back-to-back hits that put the Big Green up 1-0. The RBI was off the bat of Kade Kretzschmar.

UMass Lowell, on the other hand, had no problem jumping all over Dartmouth starter Tyler Cortland (0-3). They placed three in the one inning Cortland pitched. Jacob Humphrey led off with a single to left, then stole second base and scored on a Robert Gallagher double to center field. Gallagher crossed home plate when the next batter, Gerry Siracusa (2-5, 2RS, 4 RBI, HR), singled to center to make it 2-1 Lowell. Siracusa then stole both second and third base and scored on a sac-fly from Brandon Fish. It was 3-1 Lowell after one.

The River Hawks then went to work on the Big Green bullpen. In the second, they batted around vs Luke Carpenter scoring four runs on five hits. They scored a single run off of Matt Carey in the fourth. In the fifth, Siracusa hit a three-run home run to left off Shane Bauer, part of a five-run fifth inning. It was now 13-1 River Hawks. They scored once more in the eighth when senior pinch-hitter Matt DeBenedetto crushed a 3-2 fastball off of Kunaal Verma over the scoreboard in left for his very first college hit. Harring called DeBenedetto “A great teammate, works hard, everyone loves having him around.” That statement could not have been more true as the bench exploded out of the dugout to greet him at home plate.

Meanwhile, the River Hawk pitching staff was doing what they should do when they have big leads which is to throw strikes. Sal Fusco, Zach Fortuna, and Michael Quigley did just that. The only mistake came in the ninth when Drew Haight, also making his college debut allowed a HR to James House to right field to make the final score 14-2 River Hawks. Gallaher had a big day scoring three times and stealing two bases. He now is 21-for-21 in stolen base attempts. Jacob Humphrey had two hits, two RS, and two RBI in the afternoon. UMass Lowell will be back on the field on Wednesday afternoon on the road at UMass Amherst. Brendan Williams will be the River Hawks starter.