ORONO, Maine — Lou Della Fera picked an opportune time to hit his first collegiate home run. The junior outfielder belted a three-run shot to spark a four-run seventh inning Sunday that lifted the University of Maine to a 7-4 baseball victory over UMass Lowell.
Della Fera’s heroics helped the Black Bears (15-27, 5-9 AE) complete a sweep of their three-game series against the River Hawks (17-23, 5-13 AE) at Mahaney Diamond.
UMaine swept UMass Lowell 8-1 and 1-0 on Saturday.
“Luc Della Fera go the big hit with the home run today that put us up by one,” said UMaine coach Steve Trimper. “I think it really was a back-breaker for Lowell.”
On Sunday, Colin Ridley hit a solo homer and two singles with an RBI as the Bears overcame a 4-2 deficit. Jeremy Pena and Tyler Schwanz each doubled and singled.
Lewiston left-hander Eddie Emerson (2-1) allowed two hits and one run in 2 ⅓ innings to get the win in relief of Chris Murphy. Nick Silva pitched the last 1⅔ innings for his second save of the weekend.
“It was great to see two freshmen go out there and hold the game. They did it two days in a row, so I think they’re really gaining some confidence,” Trimper said.
Oscar Marchena (RBI) and Ben Prada (double) had two hits each for UMass Lowell and Steve Passatempo hit a solo home run. Reliever Cam Lanzili (1-1) took the loss.
UMaine rallied in the seventh when Patrick Coughlin led off with a pinch-hit single. One out later, Caleb Kerbs reached on a fielder’s choice via an error. Lanzili came on and surrendered Della Fera’s high blast over the right-field fence that put the hosts up 5-4.
“We pinch-hit Coughlan and he came up with a hit to start off the inning,” Trimper said. “Later in the game he had a sacrifice bunt that helped us get an insurance run.”
Pena kept the inning going with a single, Danny Casals walked and Ridley singled to set up Kevin Stypulkowski’s sacrifice fly.
Emerson got the first out of the eighth, before Silva came on to record the last five outs.
On Saturday, John Arel finally earned his first collegiate victory by pitching six innings of four-hit ball in the nightcap.
“You can’t really beat that winning feeling,” said Arel (1-7), who struck out three and hit a batter.
He effectively blended a changeup with his fastball and slider while throwing 84 pitches, 60 for strikes.
“(The changeup) was feeling especially good today, as good as my slider has been feeling, so we were throwing that to anybody,” Arel said.
Trimper went to Silva, a freshman righty, who worked a 1-2-3 seventh and struck out two.
“He’s only a freshman, but he really wants to be out there and he really has that poise,” Trimper said.
UMaine scratched out only three hits against UML righty Steve Xirinachs (1-6).
After Arel stranded five baserunners over the first three innings, UMaine scored the game’s only run in the third. Jon Salcedo pulled a double down the left-field line and Kerbs was hit by a pitch. Two outs later, Casals fouled off a couple of two-strike pitches then grounded an RBI single to center.
Xirinachs retired the last 10 batters he faced, but the run held up.
Arel demonstrated his grit, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first, then stranded a runner at second in the second inning.
UML mounted a two-out threat in the third on a single and stolen base by Ian Strom, but Arel induced an inning-ending grounder.
“John Arel has been doing great for us,” Pena said. “I felt bad because we haven’t really supported him with runs.”
In the opener, UMaine posted nine hits against UML ace Andrew Ryan. Pena stroked a double and two singles with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Kevin Stypulkowski doubled and singled, while Colin Ridley and Kerbs each poked an RBI double.
Senior righty Logan Fullmer (3-1) limited the River Hawks to four hits and one run through seven innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Emerson pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Joe Consolmagno paced UMass Lowell with a double and a single and Strom singled twice.
Ryan (3-5), who went into the contest with a 2.15 earned run average, surrendered seven hits and five runs (four earned) in seven innings. He also walked five and hit a batter.
UMaine executed a delayed double steal with two outs in the first to take the lead for good, then made it 3-0 in the third as Pena ripped a run-scoring double past third and Casals followed with a sacrifice fly.
“He came to me with an off-speed (pitch),” Pena said. “I knew he was going out(side), so I was just trying to let the ball get deep and slap it the other way.”
The Black Bears added an unearned run in the fourth, before UMass Lowell got on the board in the fifth on Mark Tumosa’s sacrifice fly.
UMaine responded with a run in the seventh on Ridley’s hard-hit RBI double past first base to plate Pena (single, stolen base), then tacked on three in the eighth.
The final rally included a run-scoring double by Kerbs.