The UMass Lowell baseball team defeated Sacramento State 7-2 in a midweek contest at John Smith Field on March 11. Senior Carlos Martinez led the River Hawks with two hits, including a double, and scored twice.
The win is significant for UMass Lowell as it improves their record to 4-7 and demonstrates strong performances from both hitters and pitchers. Head Coach Nick Barese said, “Great team win today. I can’t say enough about the bullpen, especially Nolan Geisler. Two massive double plays in huge spots. Offensively we kept plugging away, and Cali got the big hit when we needed it.”
Senior Joseph DeLanzo contributed two hits and two runs batted in, while junior Scott Donahue added a hit, a run, and an RBI. Graduate student Frankie DeMaro started on the mound for UMass Lowell, pitching four innings with two strikeouts and allowing one run. Sophomore Nolan Geisler earned his first win of the season by pitching 1.2 innings with a strikeout, and freshman Josh Doney closed out the game with two innings pitched and two strikeouts.
The River Hawks took an early lead in the first inning after DeLanzo drove home Martinez. They extended their advantage in the fourth before Sacramento State tied the game at 2-2 later on. UMass Lowell regained control in the seventh inning when sophomore Brayden Cali singled to bring home Donahue for a 3-2 lead. The team added four more runs over the final two innings through timely hitting and aggressive baserunning.
Strong defensive plays helped secure the victory for UMass Lowell as Doney finished off Sacramento State with a called third strike to end the game.
Looking ahead, UMass Lowell will travel to Pepperdine for a four-game series beginning Thursday, March 12.
