LOWELL, Massachusetts — The University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks took two of three games from the Maine Black Bears in an America East baseball series over the weekend.
The Bears won the first game of a Sunday doubleheader 5-4, but the River Hawks took the second 10-6 to win the series after beating Maine on Saturday 4-3 in 10 innings..
The slumping Bears slipped to 2-6 in conference play and 11-19 overall while Lowell improved to 7-16 and 3-5.
Maine salvaged one game of the series when it scored a run in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie and earn the win. Pinch runner Steve Adam scored the winning run on Sam Balzano’s sacrifice fly. Brenden Geary singled to lead off the inning, went to second on Jonathan Salcedo’s sacrifice bunt and to third on Brian Doran’s single before Adam came on as a pinch runner.
Jacob Gosselin-Deschenes (2-1) earned the win in the relief in 2 ⅔ innings, allowing just one hit, not walking a batter and striking out one.
Brett Chappell doubled twice and drove in a run to lead Maine and Doran hit a two-run home run.
Jimmy Ricoy notched three hits and drove in a run to spark the River Hawks.
In the second game, Lowell pounded out 15 hits to tame the Bears, chasing starter Jake Marks (1-4) after three innings. He allowed seven hits and four runs.
Luke Reynolds paced the River Hawks with a double, two singles and two RBIs. Ian Strom added a double, single and two RBIs while Matthew Sanchez had a double, two singles and an RBI.
Geary doubled twice and drove in two runs to lead the Black Bears. Balzano added three singles and an RBI and Doran chipped in with two singles and an RBI.
On Saturday night, Strom doubled home Joe Consolmagno with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the River Hawks by the Bears.
Danny Mendick hit a double with an RBI and Ricoy knocked in two runs with a single for UMass Lowell. Christian Lavoie (1-3) picked up the win on the mound with two innings of hitless relief, including a strikeout.
Starter Andrew Ryan limited UMaine to four hits and one run and walked four.
Balzano paced UMaine with a double, a single and two RBIs and Shane Bussey posted a double.
Logan Fullmer (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering two hits and a run with a strikeout and two walks in 2⅓ innings of relief.
UMass Lowell reached Bears starter Justin Courtney of Bangor for three runs in the first inning. Consolmagno drew a one-out walk and scored on a double by Mendick. After an infield hit by Matthew Sanchez, Strom advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt.
Ricoy singled to right to plate two runs.
The River Hawks would manage only three hits the rest of the way against Courtney, Gosselin-Deschesnes and Fullmer.
UMaine got a run back in the sixth via Bussey’s leadoff triple and a double-play grounder.
The Black Bears equalized in the seventh. Kevin Stypulkowski singled with one out, Doran walked and both advanced on wild pitch. Balzano delivered two runs with a double to left-center.