UMass Lowell Shuts Out UAlbany, 4-0

Read Time:3 Minute, 10 Second

For the third series in a row, the UMass Lowell River Hawks (11-15, 3-4) started a conference weekend with a win. Three pitchers combined on an eight-hit shutout as the River Hawks defeated the UAlbany Great Danes (4-18, 2-5) 4-0 at LeLacheur Park. The victory moved UMass Lowell up to fourth place in the league standings and gave them an immediate opportunity to secure a series win.

Brian Foley was the first of three pitchers used by head coach Nick Barese. The strategy was for Foley to go through the batting order once, potentially allowing him to be available later in the series. Foley executed the plan perfectly, navigating the lineup through 2.1 innings. While he dealt with some traffic on the basepaths via two walks, his slider and fastball were sharp, resulting in five strikeouts. Ultimately, he provided the start his coach required to keep the team competitive.

The Great Danes countered with Christian Mello, who matched Foley with four scoreless innings. On a cold, drizzly night, a genuine pitching duel unfolded until the fifth inning, when the River Hawks finally broke through against a tiring Mello (0-4). After Mello recorded the first out on a Zachery Scott strikeout, the top of the UMass Lowell lineup went to work. Cal Chance sparked the rally with a base hit to left-center, followed by a single to left from Rowan Masse. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Sean O’Leary. O’Leary, who finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, drove them both in with a double down the right-field line to make it 2-0. Following a fly out, Carlos Martinez (2-for-3, 2 RBI) drove a pitch the other way for a double to left, scoring O’Leary and extending the lead to 3-0.

Foley turned the game over to Jake Lafrancois (3-0), who was effective over the next 3.2 innings. Lafrancois allowed four hits and two walks while striking out two. He ran into trouble in the seventh after the first two Great Danes reached on a single and a walk. The walk to pinch-hitter Zach Mravija prompted Coach Barese to call on Nolan Geisler. Though Geisler walked the first man he faced to load the bases, he quickly bore down. With the bags packed, pinch-hitter Logan Morris hit a dribbler down the third-base line; third baseman Joseph DeLanzo fielded it cleanly and threw home to force out Jaxon Mueller. DeLanzo then made the play of the game on the next batter, leadoff hitter Patrick DeSarno, by fielding a grounder, stepping on third, and throwing across the diamond to O’Leary, who scooped the ball to complete an inning-ending double play. After the game, Barese called it the most important at-bat of the night, praising Geisler for being “mentally tough.”

UMass Lowell added an insurance run in the seventh against Bryan Cadieux, who otherwise provided strong relief for UAlbany with six strikeouts over four innings. After O’Leary was hit by a pitch, back-to-back hits by Nickolas Solorzano and Martinez brought him home for the fourth run. The RBI was Martinez’s third of the game and 23rd of the season. Geisler worked through a leadoff single in the eighth and eventually navigated a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the ninth. He induced a groundout from John Vitucci to O’Leary at first to end the game, securing a 4-0 win and his first save of the year.

The series continues Friday afternoon for game two. Dylan Banner is scheduled to start for UAlbany, while the River Hawks will send reigning America East Pitcher of the Week Alfred Mucciarone to the mound.