River Hawks Take Down Harvard, 12-4, on Tuesday Afternoon

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The UMass Lowell River Hawks baseball team (16-23, 7-11 AE) defeated the Harvard Crimson (16-18, 7-7 IVY) by a score of 12-4 on a chilly Tuesday in Cambridge.

“Our pitching was fantastic today,” said head coach Ken Harring. “Holding a very good Harvard team to four hits is fantastic. The entire lineup had very good at-bats. Now we can focus on BC tomorrow night.”

Senior Gerry Siracusa (Kinnelon, N.J.) had a big day with four hits, four RBIs, and three runs scored on the afternoon. Sophomore Fritz Genther (Kingston, N.Y.) and freshman Alex Luccini (Hopedale, Mass.) each tallied three hits and Luccini added three RBIs. Freshman Jacob Humphrey (Standish, ME.) continued his base-running success with three stolen bases. The rookie added two runs and two hits.

On the mound, sophomore Michael Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) got the start and threw 2.0 innings with three strikeouts and one earned run. Freshman Brendan Holland (North Andover, Mass.) threw 3.0 innings and struck out four while junior Brian Gaughan (Walpole, Mass.) struck out three in 2.0 innings.

The River Hawks got things going early in the first inning. After Humphrey was walked, the freshman stole second. Junior Ryan Proto (Centerville, Mass.) singled to center to bring Humphrey in to score, giving UMass Lowell an early 1-0 lead. Harvard answered in the bottom of the second with two runs scoring on a fielding error, giving the hosts the lead.

In the third inning, Humphrey reached on a single to center before stealing second and third, putting the tying run in scoring position. Proto once again singled to center to bring in the freshman, tying the game. Gerry Siracusa followed up with a two-run home run to left, pushing the lead to 4-2.

Brendan Holland took over on the mound in the third and threw a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout. Alex Luccini singled up the middle to start the fourth and made his way to third on two wild pitches. The freshman came in to score on Siracusa’s double to left. Siracusa then came in to score after freshman Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) singled to right, pushing the lead to 6-2. Holland picked up two more strikeouts in a scoreless bottom half of the fourth inning.

Junior Frank Wayman (Horseheads, N.Y.) reached on a single to left and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-2. Siracusa continued to hit well against the Crimson, picking up another RBI with a single to left to give UMass Lowell a six-run lead. Harvard added a run in the fifth to cut the lead to 8-3, but Holland continued to pitch well, recording his fourth strikeout of the afternoon.

With two on and two out, Alex Luccini hit a two-run triple down the left-field line to stretch the lead to 10-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Brian Gaughan took over in the sixth and struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning. Junior Cedric Rose (Pittsfield, Mass.) doubled down the left-field line in the seventh to bring in Siracusa, putting the River Hawks ahead 11-3. UMass Lowell’s pitching core put together three straight scoreless innings, taking an eight-run lead into the ninth.

UMass Lowell added another run in the ninth with a bases-loaded walk, stretching the lead to 12-3 and leaving Harvard to their final three outs. Graduate student Zach Rodgers (Parrish, Fla.) came into the game in the ninth for the River Hawks. Harvard added a fourth run on a bases-loaded walk. Rodgers struck out one and forced a flyout with the bases loaded to end the game and give UMass Lowell its first win over Harvard in program history.

The River Hawks return to action Wednesday, April 27 at home against Boston College. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at LeLacheur Park.