UMass Lowell picks up a 5-4 win over NJIT

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Games are dwindling down to a precious few for the UMass Lowell River Hawks (14-28, 7-12). Every game presents a two-game swing in the standings, especially with UAlbany breathing down their neck for the last playoff spot in America East. On Friday night at LeLacheur Park, The River Hawks used a four-run fourth to their advantage as they took game one from NJIT (19-24, 8-8) by a 5-4 score.

Graduate senior Matt Draper (3-6) got the ball on Friday night for the River Hawks. He looked locked in from the first pitch of his outing. However, extra pitches were needed to get through the first inning because of a fielding error by first baseman Matt Tobin. The mistake did not cost any runs, but it is a reminder of UMass Lowell needs to play as clean a game as possible. The Highlanders did strike first in this game in the third. A leadoff single by the number 9 hitter Jared Donnelly (3-for-4 1 RBI, 1 RS) got the inning started. One out later, Draper hit Andrew Elcock. Both men would score on an RBI double by Ray Ortiz to left field that River Hawks LF Trey Brown made a diving attempt for and came up empty. The double was Ortiz’s 15th of the season, 2-0 Highlanders.

Ryan Fischer was the NJIT starting pitcher and through three innings he was good. He set down nine of the first ten hitters he faced. A Fritz Genther (2-for-3, 1 RBI) double in the second was the only hit and base runner for Lowell. That all changed in the fourth. The River Hawks sent eight men to the plate, and four of them scored. Genther’s sac-fly to center with the bases loaded put the River Hawks on the board at 2-1. RBI singles by Ryan Proto and Frank Waymen gave UMass Lowell the lead at 3-2. Proto added a run by scoring on a wild pitch, The River Hawks went to the middle innings up 4-2.

In the fifth inning, Draper survived his own bases-loaded situation by getting Ortiz on a comebacker that was turned into a 1-2-3 double play. He then got Kevin Putsky to ground out to second to maintain the lead. For the Highlanders, it was a major squander. Draper gave up an unearned run in the sixth, and a throwing error by River Hawks third baseman Robert Gallagher led to an RBI base hit from Donnelly to left to close the gap to 4-3 Lowell. Draper was done after six. His line was six innings, three runs, two earned, two walks, and six strikeouts. The River Hawks gave themselves some insurance in the seventh. With one down, Tobin atoned for his early error by tripling to right field. He scored on a RBI single to center field by Brown and the River Hawks had their two-run lead back at 5-3. Fischer (3-5) was finished after seven as he allowed seven hits and five earned runs, six strikeouts, and zero walks.

In the eighth, the Highlanders once again made it a one-run game on a bases-loaded walk to Luke Longo off of the third River Hawks pitcher LJ Keevan. It scored Austin Francis who had an infield single into the SS hole. It was 5-4 Lowell through eight innings. Keevan took care of the ninth to pick up his second save of the year. The River Hawks earned a much-needed win 5-4 over NJIT. The win was even more important since UAlbany defeated Binghamton 6-1. The River Hawks maintained their two-game lead over the Great Danes for the final playoff spot in the conference.

After the game, head coach Ken Harring was pleased with the win. This was the first time the River Hawks had beaten Fischer. When asked if the team was doing some scoreboard watching he said “We just need to take care of our business.” On Saturday, Joshua Becker gets the ball for game two. The first pitch is at 1 PM.

Here is Ken Harring Postgame with our own John Doucette: