Banner’s Complete‑Game Mastery Sinks UMass Lowell, 7–2

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One might assume that when Dylan Banner graduates from UAlbany, no one associated with the UMass Lowell baseball program will be unhappy. That’s because for the third time in his career, Banner threw a complete game against them. It is also the second straight year he has done this at LeLacheur Park. On Friday afternoon, Dylan matched his career high in pitches with 110. He kept the ball down, getting 12 ground‑ball outs and eight more on fly balls. The River Hawks had chances; however, going 1‑for‑11 with runners in scoring position did not help the cause. Nor did the bottom three in the UML batting order going 1‑for‑10. UAlbany takes game two of the series with a 7–2 win.

It was not just Banner (1–4) that did UMass Lowell in on Friday. The 5–6 spots in the Great Danes’ lineup did some heavy lifting as well. Catcher Levi McAllister had a big game, going 3‑for‑4 with four RBI and a run scored. The sixth‑hole hitter, first baseman Jaxson Mullier, was 2‑for‑3 with two RBI. Those two made life difficult for River Hawks starter Alfred Mucciarone (1–2), who lasted only three innings—his shortest outing of the season. The Great Danes got to him in the very first inning. Eight men came to bat, and the top three would score. McAllister delivered the first two with a single to left that brought home Zach Mravija and Brian Guerrero, who reached on an infield hit and a hit‑by‑pitch, respectively. Mullier drove home Patrick DeSarno, who reached on a base hit to left field, with a single to left of his own. It was 3–0 UAlbany.

UMass Lowell had a promising start to their half of the first. Cal Chance reached on a throwing error by SS Cooper Lloyd, and Rowan Masse (2‑for‑4) reached on an infield single to the shortstop hole. Then Banner did what he did all night long—made pitches when he had to. Back‑to‑back strikeouts of Sean O’Leary and Nick Solorzano were followed by a line‑drive out from Carlos Martinez. Rally over, inning over. UAlbany struck for three more in the third against Mucciarone, who, head coach Nick Baresse said, “was getting his pitches up.” It was McAllister who doubled home the first two, then Mullier drove him home with a double down the left‑field line. Mucciarone’s night would end with 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 SO, and zero walks.

The River Hawks chipped away with a run in the fourth on back‑to‑back doubles from Carlos Martinez and Scott Donahue, with Donahue’s hit being an RBI double. That made it 6–1 UAlbany. Donahue (2‑for‑4, 1 RS, 1 RBI) doubled to right in the sixth and eventually scored on a wild pitch, cutting the deficit to 6–2. But that would be as close as UML would get. Banner shut down an offense that Baresse thought was not aggressive enough. He also credited Banner, saying, “He is a really good pitcher.” If there was good news for UMass Lowell, it was that only two pitchers were used out of the pen. Frankie DeMaro and Josh Dowey combined to go the final six innings and allowed one run on four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. The Great Danes pushed across a run in the eighth. Guerrero’s RBI single to left field drove home Lloyd, who started the inning with a walk, then stole a couple of bases before scoring the seventh run.

Baresse was not pleased with the team’s overall “lack of energy.” He planned to talk to his staff about what to do with the bottom of his order. He called Saturday’s game “massive,” as it is the third series in which they have won the first game and then struggled to win the series. Jacob Jette gets the ball for UMass Lowell.