Highlanders spoil river Hawks’ return home
Umass Lowell drops series to NJIT
lowell » After 17 straight road games to start the season, they were thrilled to play at Lelacheur Park again.
Heck, with the world still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Umass Lowell baseball team will play any team at any location if given the chance.
“It’s a great
feeling,”
UML head coach Ken Harring said of seeing his River Hawks play at home again. “We haven’t worn the home whites for two years. It’s nice to see the guys back on the field here.”
NJIT ruined the homecoming, however, winning the final three games of the four-game set. On Saturday, the Highlanders topped UML in Game 1, 7-3, before holding off a furious rally by the hosts in the second game, 9-5, to finish off the America East sweep.
“Baseball is a game of cycles. We were so hot the last two weeks,” Harring said. “We’re just trying to get better each week. These guys are playing hard and they’re working hard for us and that’s all I can ask. We’ll get better from this, I promise you.”
In the nightcap, the River Hawks (6-13, 5-5 AE) trailed 7-0. After losing 17-4 in Friday’s nightcap and 7-3 in Saturday’s opener, the hosts were looking at a third straight blowout loss.
But Umass Lowell put a scare into NJIT, scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by Robert Gallagher and twice two innings later. In the seventh, Gerry Siracusa (3-for-4) tripled off the glove of the right fielder and was brought home by Cedric Rose (2-for-4), who blooped a single into left field. UML then pulled to within 7-4 when Nick Ma