{"id":35839,"date":"2020-03-02T04:47:53","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T09:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ngscsports.com\/?p=35839"},"modified":"2020-08-20T11:49:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T15:49:51","slug":"umass-lowell-baseball-river-hawks-drop-two-at-delaware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ngscsports.com\/2020\/03\/02\/umass-lowell-baseball-river-hawks-drop-two-at-delaware\/","title":{"rendered":"UMass Lowell Baseball: River Hawks Drop Two at Delaware"},"content":{"rendered":"
NEWARK, Del. \u2013 Delaware got the key hits, UMass Lowell did not, Sunday as the Blue Hens swept a pair of games<\/a> from the River Hawks, 11-4 and 4-3 in 10 innings at Bob Hannah Stadium in Newark, Delaware.<\/p>\n UMass Lowell is now 4-6, \u00a0Delaware, a CAA member, stands at 4-5.<\/p>\n “We’re a young team and we knew we’d have some days like this,” said UMass Lowell Baseball Head Coach\u00a0Ken Harring<\/a><\/dfn>. \u00a0“It’s frustrating, but failure is an opportunity to learn and we try to take something positive out of every game. \u00a0I was encouraged by the pitching and I was encouraged by some of the at-bats our young hitters had. \u00a0What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and we’re going to push forward and learn.”<\/p>\n The River Hawk lineup in each of the games featured five freshmen. \u00a0The inexperience may have shown, but the talent showed through as well.<\/p>\n “We’re getting there,” said Harring. \u00a0“We’re still learning about ourselves; we’re working to figure out who we are. \u00a0We have to take care of the details to avoid big problems. \u00a0We have to execute better.”<\/p>\n Game 1<\/p>\n Pitching is as much as ninety-percent of a baseball game and in the first game of the twin bill River Hawk pitching struggled and the Blue Hen offense flourished. \u00a0The home team banged out 15 hits as everybody in the starting lineup had at least one. \u00a0The final was 11-4.<\/p>\n After UMass Lowell took an early 2-0 lead the visitors watched as Delaware responded with three runs in the second, one in the third and after the River Hawks chipped away with a run in the top of the fourth added six more in the bottom half of the inning, 10-3. \u00a0Each team would add another run before the game was done, but the decision was no longer in doubt.<\/p>\n Starter grad student\u00a0Collin Duffley<\/a><\/dfn> (Manchester, N.H.) got just seven outs before exiting. The right-hander was roughed up for four runs on five hits. \u00a0He also walked five and hit a batter. \u00a0He was charged with the loss dropping his record to 1-2.<\/p>\n Reliever senior\u00a0Connor Metelski<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Wall Township, N.J.) lasted only an inning and it did not go well. \u00a0He surrendered six runs, five earned, on five hits. \u00a0It was his first appearance of the season and he seemed to find his comfort zone.<\/p>\n The trio of freshman\u00a0Garret Roberts<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Stratham, N.H.), sophomore\u00a0Blaise Sclafani<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Souderton, Penn.) and grad student\u00a0Jeffrey Peterson<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Windham, N.H.) worked the final 2.2 innings allowing just one run.<\/p>\n Four River Hawks had multi-hit games. \u00a0Sophomore\u00a0Gerry Siracusa<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Kinnelon, N.J.), junior\u00a0Joey Castellanos<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Nutley, N.J.) and freshmen Jiohel Lantigua (Spring Hill, Florida) and\u00a0Nick Marola<\/a><\/dfn> (Scotia, N.Y.) each had two hits. \u00a0Lantigua homered and Marola doubled twice. \u00a0Siracusa, Castellanos, and Lantigua drove in runs. \u00a0Sophomore\u00a0Robert Gallagher<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Mullica Hill, N.J.) also had an RBI single.<\/p>\n Both teams left ten men on base.<\/p>\n Game 2<\/p>\n UMass Lowell jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap, but could not hold on as Delaware battled back.<\/p>\n The River Hawks got on the board in the second inning. \u00a0A one-out walk and a freshman\u00a0Ryan Proto<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(Centerville, Mass.) double set the stage. \u00a0Nick Marola’s<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0flyball to right brought the runner in from third.<\/p>\n UMass Lowell manufactured two runs in the fourth inning without the benefit of a base hit. \u00a0A combination of walks (three), hit batters (two), stolen bases (two) and an infield out produced the runs. 3-0, but it was not enough.<\/p>\n Starter sophomore\u00a0Matt Draper<\/a><\/dfn> (Lowell, Mass.) gave the River Hawks exactly what they needed. \u00a0A strong gritty start. \u00a0He threw strikes and let hitters get themselves out. \u00a0He retired the first six in a row and then set down three more after a leadoff double in the third inning.<\/p>\n “He had a good fastball, slider and changeup working,” said Harring. \u00a0“He has a funk in his delivery that works to keep hitters off balance.”<\/p>\n The right-hander ran into some trouble in the middle innings but effectively worked out of it allowing a pair of runs on a single and a passed ball in the fourth. \u00a0Delaware tied the game in the fifth on an unearned run. \u00a0Draper gutted his way through the sixth inning, retiring the side after the first two batters got on.<\/p>\n “He was a bright light out there,” according to Harring. \u00a0“He made big pitches at important points in big situations.”<\/p>\n Draper’s day was done after six strong innings. \u00a0He allowed just one earned run while striking out three.<\/p>\n