UMass Lowell Wins in Wild Walk-Off Over Maine 11-10

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When you are a team struggling to score runs and help out your pitching staff, you need games like the one played at LeLacheur Park on Saturday afternoon. The UMass Lowell River Hawks (13-19, 5-5) found themselves on the wrong side of a 10-4 score after three and a half innings to the Maine Black Bears (8-21, 4-6). The good news for UMass Lowell is that you need 27 outs to win a ballgame and the Black Bears never got to that number. Over the remaining five and a half innings, the River Hawks would outscore the Black Bears 7-0 to come back and win a walk-off game that just might turn their season around. The final score in a wild one was 11-10 UMass Lowell.

To make a comeback like this, you need several players to come through for you in the right moments. UMass Lowell got just that. Their bullpen came through in the names of Kevin Zarnoch, Andres Hulfachor, and Zack Fortuna. On offense, the number two and three hitters in the River Hawks lineup were on fire Saturday. Fritz Genther (4-for-5, 3 RS) and Alex Luccini (4-for-5, 1 RS, 4 RBI) kept the team within striking distance of a possible win. After the game, head coach Nick Barese said “It never feels like we are out of a game.” Saturday may have been the best example of that.

To be fair, it was not all good for UMass Lowell. After being staked to a 4-0 lead by his offense in the very first inning. River Hawks freshman RHP Alfred Mucciarone gave it back and then some. His line of 3.1 IP, 9 hits, 8 earned runs, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts was not what anyone in the River Hawks dugout was hoping for. In the third, he gave up a bases-clearing double to Maine’s 1st baseman Jeremiah Jenkins (2-for-5, 1RS, 4RBI). 4-3 UMass Lowell after three innings.

In the fourth, things really got out of hand for Mucciarone. He faced six batters, five of them reached by way of hits. RBI hits from Will Burns (single) and Jenkins (double) who got a second life when River Hawks 1st baseman Connor Kelly misplayed his foul pop-up. That was followed by a three-run home run to right center by Nick White (3-for-5, RS, 3 RBI), his second HR in two days and his third of the season. By the time River Hawks reliever Brian Foley recorded the final out, Maine had put up a 7-spot in the fourth and had a 10-4 lead.

Maine’s starting pitcher Jason Krieger was left to hold the lead and that became a difficult task for him. The River Hawks started to chip away at the deficit. An RBI single to right by Luccini got a run back in the fourth to make it 10-5 Maine. UMass Lowell put up three more in the sixth to knock Krieger out of the game. He allowed an RBI single to right by Luccini and a 2-run scoring double to center from Carlos Martinez to make it a 10-8 Maine lead. His line was 5.1 IP, 12 hits, 8 earned runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 3 wild pitches. Not what you are looking for from your starter when you have a 6-run lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, off of Maine’s relief pitcher Ryan Scott, the River Hawks pulled to within 10-9. A leadoff walk to Brandon Fish was followed by a sac-bunt from Roddy Hernandez. Fish then scored on a fielding error by Black Bears 2nd baseman Myles Sargent off the bat of Trey Brown (2-for-5, 2 RS, 2 RBI). That run came after Hulfachor came on in the top of that inning and struck out the side. Coach Barese went back to his pen after Hulfachor’s two scoreless innings to call on Fortuna. He would load the bases on two hit batters and a walk. Then he struck out Zack Martin to get out of the jam and give his team a shot in the bottom of the ninth.

With Scott still on the mound for the Black Bears, the River Hawks started their rally. After getting the leadoff hitter, Scott gave up a single to center by Fish. He moved to second on a swing bunt by Hernandez to third for the second out. The order turned over and Trey Brown stepped up. He ripped a single to left that scored Fish and tied the game at 10-10. After throwing three straight balls to Genther, Maine’s head coach Nick Derba went back to his pen and called on Marshall Smaracko to get the game to extra innings. Smaracko walked Genther, then gave up the game-winning single to right-center by Luccini to complete the comeback and give UMass Lowell their second walk-off win of the week, 11-10 over Maine.

Barese gave a ton of credit to his pen, saying “They have been really good the last few weeks.” In particular, Fortuna who he feels “needs more love.” Zack has now thrown 14 innings in 14 appearances without allowing either an earned or unearned run. leadoff hitter Trey Brown was another player that the coach singled out. Calling what he has done in the top spot “outstanding.” Brown has a .307 batting average with 18 driven in.

The River Hawks look to take the series on Sunday afternoon when they will send RHP Miles Cota to the bump.