UMass Lowell out slugs Binghamton 14-13 on Senior Day in Lowell

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It was quite a morning and afternoon at LeLacheur Park on Saturday. The UMass Lowell River Hawks (19-33, 11-13) honored their ten senior members of this year’s team in pre-game ceremonies along the first base line. That is always an emotional moment for all involved. However, there was an important game to play for both the River Hawks and the Binghamton Bearcats (26-21, 12-12). Seeding in the upcoming conference baseball tournament was at stake with both teams trying to give themselves the best shot possible of making a run in it. With the wind blowing out of Lelacheur on Saturday, offense was the theme of this game. There were 27 runs scored by both teams and a total of 31 hits in the game. In the end, the River Hawks, behind a two-HR, five RBI day from LF Trey Brown as well as a five-hit, 3 RBI, 3 RS day from CF Alex Luccini, defeated the Bearcats 14-13 and took the series from them.

It was a game that had its shaky moments for sure if you are a fan of UMass Lowell. They raced out to a 9-2 lead after three innings. Trey Brown was a big reason why as he smacked a pair of home runs in his first two plate appearances. He first came in the second inning off Bearcats starter Ryan Bryggman. It was a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left field, his second of the year. It tied the game at 2-2. In the third, Brown did it again. This time a three-run shot off the left-field scoreboard for home run number three on the year. As for Bryggman, it was the end of the right-hander’s day. The very next hitter, Frank Wayman greeted Bearcats reliever Kyle Eskildsen by taking him deep to right field off the top of the wall (#2 for him). Back-to-back HRs. The seven-run third inning had UMass Lowell up 9-2 after three.

The Bearcats can also swing the bats. Down seven they began chipping away at the River Hawks lead. Zack Rodgers got the start for Lowell and gave up the first two Binghamton runs in the second inning. After a scoreless inning from Shane Bogil, head coach Ken Harring went deeper into his bullpen to give more people some work. The results were mixed. Miles Cota went the next two and gave up four runs on four hits, a two-run HR from SS Kevin Stellrecht (his second) in the fourth made it a 9-4 game. The River Hawks got those runs back in the bottom of the frame on RBI hits from Luccini and Brandon Fish (3-for-4, two RBI) and it was 11-4 Lowell after four. But the Bearcats would not go away. They plated two more runs in the fifth on a two-run HR by Devan Bade who had a monster day for the Bearcats (3-for-5, 5 RBI, 3 RS, 2 HR his 6 and 7 of the year). The home runs went over the scoreboard in left and made it an 11-6 game.

UMass Lowell got one of those runs back in the sixth on an RBI hit from Luccini, 12-6 Lowell. Bade went over the scoreboard again in the seventh off of Brian Foley as part of a three-run inning. It was now 12-9 River Hawks. In the eighth, a Mike Gunning single scored Nick Roselli who began the inning with a base hit to center field. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. The River Hawks lead was down to two at 12-10. They answered with two in the bottom of the eighth on a double by backup catcher Jake Fitzgbbons to the left-center field gap. That scored Robert Gallagher who had walked. Then Luccini drove home Fitzgbbons with his fifth hit of the day to center field. Lowell had a 14-10 lead heading to the ninth. Freshman Michael Simes came on in the seventh to get a big strikeout of Stellrecht to end that inning. He allowed a run in the eighth before getting another big strikeout of Bade to end that inning. He ran into some trouble in the ninth. First, he hit Zack Taylor, then walked Andrew Tan. Simes was lifted for Jacob Jette. After getting Stellrecht to strike out swinging, he gave up an RBI single to Cavan Tully that made it 14-11 Lowell. Jette then loaded the bases by walking Logan Haskell. Nick Rosell then hit a fielder’s choice ground ball to Gallagher at second who got an out at the bag. But his throw to first was late. Both Tully and Tan never stopped running and both scored to make it a one-run game at 14-13. Jette got Evin Sullivan to foul out to Fish at third base to end the game with the tying run on base. The River Hawks ended the 2023 regular season with a 14-13 win over the Bearcats.

Shane Bogli picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief in the third and he is now 1-1 on the year. Jette gets save number two, although it was a bit of an adventure. Bryggman takes the loss after going 2.1 IP, 8 hits, 8 runs, and 7 earned runs. He is now 4-4.

After the game, Coach Harring continues to like the way his lineup is swinging the bats. The middle of the River Hawks lineup, Luccini, Fish, and Brown went 10-for-14 with 5 runs scored, and 10 RBI. The coach also thought that Fitzgibbon’s at-bat in the eighth was the biggest plate appearance of the game for his team. On Wednesday, the River Hawks will begin play in the America East Baseball tournament against an opponent yet to be determined.