Four-Run Eighth Gives Maine a 5-2 Win Over UMass Lowell

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There are plenty of ways to either win games or for that matter lose them. On Friday night at LeLacheur Park, the UMass Lowell River Hawks (12-19, 4-5) chose a painful one. Their inability to put bat on ball, or as people in the game would call it, situational hitting once again reared its ugly head. UMass Lowell hitters were 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings. River Hawks head coach Nick Barese is at a loss to try to explain why his team can not drive in runs consistently. The result was a great pitching performance wasted. Two throwing errors in the eighth inning led to four runs for the Maine Black Bears (8-20, 4-5). Game one of this three-game series goes to Maine 5-2.

Sophomore Michael Simes got the start for UMass Lowell. According to his coach, he found out he would get this game “A day before.” His line speaks for itself, 7 IP, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HBP. Barese called his performance “Fantastic.” However, all he gets is a no-decision for it. Not only did the River Hawks leave 14 runners on base, but they also struck out eight times. Many of them were rally killers. It allowed Maine to stay in a game they probably had no business being in. Baseball can be a cruel game and Friday night was one of those nights.

Maine’s starting pitcher was Geoff Mosseau, His line of 5 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1 WP, and 2 HBP showed the kind of opportunity River Hawks hitters had. He was in and out of trouble during his outing. UMass Lowell runs were scored on a wild pitch in the second that allowed Connor Kelly to cross home plate. In the fourth, Kelly led off the inning with a double down the right field line, Black Bears RF Zaxk Martin bobbled the ball in right for an error that allowed Kelly to get to third. He scored on a sac-fly to left by Ryan Proto and the River Hawks had a 2-0 lead through four.

Simes was dealing as he set down the first nine men he faced and retired 15 of the first 16 Black Bears hitters. The only man that reached was Will Burns who walked to lead off the fourth. He was erased trying to steal second base on an excellent throw by Proto to SS Fritz Genther. Simes started to tire in the seventh. Maine would get within a run, with the help of three hits that never left the infield. Jeremiah Jenkins (2-for-4, 2RS, 1 RBI) chopped one over Simes’s head for a hit. Two outs later Nick White laid down a bunt base hit to third. Myles Sargent was then walked to load the bases. Catcher Dean O’Neill then beat out a slow roller to second that UMass Lowell 2nd baseman Roddy Hernandez could not throw him out on. 2-1 River Hawks. Simes got out of the inning by getting Colin Plante to ground out to keep the lead for his team.

The Black Bears went to their bullpen and got four shutout and hitless innings from three pitchers. Owen Wheeler went two innings, and Marshall Smaracko and Luc Lavigueur went one inning apiece. It allowed Maine to stay in the game and cash in when they got their chance that came in the eighth off of James Capellupo (3-2). Maine would send eight men to the plate against him. Two throwing errors by Proto, who tried to get Jake Marquez, who led off the inning with a single to center field. On a sac-bunt from Jeph Hadson-Taylor. The throw pulled Hernandez off the second base bag. Then on a base hit to center field by Jenkins, River Hawks CF Alex Luccini airmailed the throw in. It missed the cutoff man and allowed both runners to move up. Marquez would score on the hit to tie the game at 2-2. PH Jack Friend then delivered a sac-fly to left to score Hadson-Taylor to give Maine the lead at 3-2. Nick White added some insurance with a 2-run blast over the wall in right for his third HR of the season. He now has 20 runs driven in. 5-2 Maine.

The Black Bears pen took care of the final two innings retiring six of the seven batters they faced to get a much-needed victory over UMass Lowell. Wheeler gets the win and he is 1-0. Lavigueur picks up his first save of the season. Capellupo takes the loss. After the game, Barese said he is “trying to put the right guys in the right spots in the lineup.” The lack of hitting with runners on is something “we will continue to work on.” He also pointed out the lack of hitting in key moments “is putting pressure on his defense and pitching to play perfect baseball.”

Saturday afternoon, freshman Alfred Mucciarone will get the ball for UMass Lowell as they try to even the series.