UMass Lowell Uses Strong Pitching in 2-1 Walk-Off Over Stonehill

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When it comes to mid-week games, you are never sure what kind of game you will get. On Wednesday afternoon at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Ma. a pitcher’s duel took place. In a game that took 2 hours and 12 minutes to complete, the UMass Lowell River Hawks (12-18) got a walk off 2-1 victory over Stonehill (8-17). The home team received strong starting pitching from junior left-hander Brendon Holland. The only bad news about his performance was he did not factor in the decision. He left the game in the seventh with the game tied. Not to be outdone, the Stonehill pitching staff was just as good led by their starting pitcher Jordan Marot. The senior right-hander went the first five and ended with a no-decision.

The only mistake Marot made came in the bottom of the first to the third batter he faced. CF Alex Luccni drove a pitch to center field and Skyhawks center fielder Sam Parks came in and made a diving attempt for the baseball. He did not make the catch or keep the ball in front of him. The ball one-hopped past him to the warning track in center field. Luccini raced around the bases, got the green light from his third base coach, and dove head first into home plate beating the throw from the cut-off man. The inside-the-park home run was his seventh of the year and the RBI was his 23. 1-0 UMass Lowell.

Coming into his start, Holland had thrown 11.2 innings. He had been battling a bit of an injury. So the coaching staff had him on a pitch on an inning limit. His head coach Nick Barese called his outing “Fantastic. “He is a three-pitch pitcher that was throwing all three for strikes. He threw 16 first-pitch strikes and 69% of his pitches were for strikes. Afterward, Barese talked about “the soft contact” Holland was getting. He is not afraid to pitch to contact, which keeps his defense on their toes. The infield turned two double plays behind him. None was bigger than in the fifth, with two on and one out Stonehill leadoff hitter Conor Kiely at the plate. Holland got him to hit a ground ball to River Hawks third baseman Brandon Fish who started an around-the-horn 5-4-3 DP to end the threat and keep it a 1-0 game.

In the seventh, the Skyhawks tied the game off of Holland. RF Evan Dieter, who was a home run short of the cycle, doubled down the right-field line after the first two hitters made outs. The next batter, catcher Aidan Sengenberger, singled to left field scoring Dieter and tying the game at 1-1. That hit would end Holland’s afternoon ( 6.2 IP, 6 hits, 1 earned run, 2 BB, 2 SO). His ERA is now 3.44. Frankie Venezia was first out of the River Hawks pen. He got the last out of the seventh to keep the game tied.

After giving up the inside-the-park HR, Marot settled in. He did escape a bases-loaded jam in the third. He got LF River Hart to fly out to center field to end that inning. His line of 5 IP, 6 hits, 1 earned run, 4 BB, and 2 SO was also very good. The Skyhawks bullpen kept the game tied until the ninth. Jimmy Gilleran was on for Stonehill, He gave up a leadoff single to 1st baseman Connor Kelly. He was advanced to second by a sac bunt from catcher Ryan Proto. Fish was intentionally walked and then 2nd baseman Roddy Hernandez hit a ground ball to SS Jack Marshall who could not get anyone out. The bases were now loaded with the top of the River Hawks lineup coming up. Trey Brown (2-for-3, 1 RBI) came to bat with the bases full of River Hawks. He hit a ground ball up the middle that Marshall gloved but could not make a play with. Kelly scored from third and UMass Lowell walked off with a 2-1 win. Frankie Venezia with 2.1 IP, zero hits, or runs with 1 strikeout picked up the win. He is now 1-1. Gilleran took the loss and he is now 2-2.

The River Hawks are off until the weekend when the Maine Black Bears come to Lowell for a three-game series. Brendan Williams will get the baseball for game one of that series.