VESTAL, N.Y. – Senior Joseph DeLanzo (Nutley, N.J.) went 3-for-5 at the plate, as the UMass Lowell baseball team (8-11, 1-2 America East) fought hard, but dropped the series finale, 14–10, at Binghamton (8-11, 3-3 AE) on Sunday morning.
“Tough way to end the weekend,” said Head Coach Nick Barese. “We need to find a way to be a little tougher in adverse conditions, and ultimately that falls on me to better prepare our guys. Binghamton did a better job handling the elements today and that was the difference.”
Junior Rowan Masse (Manchester, Conn.) added two hits and two runs on the day, while redshirt-sophomore Sean O’Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) and junior Scott Donahue (Medfield, Mass.) each had two hits and a run, and senior Zachary Scott (Lunenburg, Mass.) knocked two hits with two RBI. Senior Jacob Jette (Franklin, Mass.) started for the River Hawks on the mound, pitching 1.2 innings with a strikeout, while graduate student Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.) went 2.0 innings, allowing no hits or runs and walking just one batter.
The River Hawks got off to an excellent start in the first, as Masse and O’Leary each knocked singles, before senior Carlos Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Next up, graduate student Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) blasted the ball high up into the air and over the right field wall for a grand slam and an early 4-0 lead. However, in the second inning, the Bearcats used a five-hit rally to post seven runs before adding two more in the third frame to jump in front, 9–4.
Junior Ryan Strand (Goffstown, N.H.) got the River Hawks started in the fourth with a base hit and then freshman Cal Chance (Wolcott, Conn.) cracked the ball to center field for a one-run triple. Following in the order, Martinez stepped to the plate, knocking an RBI single to score Chance and cut the deficit to three, 9–6. After a brief bottom half thanks to a double play and sophomore Nolan Geisler’s (Bayonne, N.J.) strikeout, UMass Lowell looked to spark a rally in the fifth, as DeLanzo led off with a single. The Bearcats got two quick outs, but the River Hawks persevered, loading the bases after Chance reached on an error and Masse singled. However, Binghamton extinguished the opportunity and posted four runs in the same frame for a 13–6 lead.
In the seventh, Scott hit a single and then moved to second on a wild pitch, but Binghamton’s defense stayed strong. DeMaro then produced a 1-2-3 inning for the River Hawks, leaving the visitors with two innings to mount a comeback. Two runners were on-base for UMass Lowell to start the eighth, with Martinez advancing Masse to third on a fielder’s choice. Masse read the situation perfectly with one out, coming home on Burgos’ RBI sacrifice fly. A pair of singles from Donahue and DeLanzo came right after, and Scott then stroked a two-run single to make it 13-9. DeLanzo then scored after the senior capitalized on a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 13–10. However, Binghamton used a one-run double in the eighth to seal the 14–10 decision and take the series, 2–1.
The River Hawks return Tuesday, March 24, when they match up against local foe Merrimack for a midweek contest in Lawrence, Mass. The game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. at the Greater Lawrence Technical School.