ORONO — It was a typical University of Maine-UMass Lowell baseball game on the second day of the America East Tournament at Mahaney Diamond in Orono on Thursday.
Another seesaw affair with plenty of drama.
It would eventually boil down to a battle of the bullpens since neither starting pitcher was effective. Neither UMaine’s Trevor LaBonte nor UMass Lowell’s Ryan Towle made it through the fourth inning.
But the River Hawks received 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball from relievers to beat UMaine 9-7. Reilevers Zach Fortuna, Matt Draper, Sal Fusco, Michael Quigley and Henry Funaro limited the Black Bears to a 1-for-8 showing with runners in scoring position.
UMass Lowell is now 2-0 in the tournament while UMaine is 0-1. It was the 16th time in the last 28 meetings between the two that the game was decided by two runs or less. The winning side was without its top hitter, third-leading home run hitter and No. 2 starting pitcher due to COVID-19 protocols.
The River Hawks erased a pair of three-run deficits thanks to a five-run fifth-inning rally.
Genther’s opposite-field homer to right center, his 10th of the season, staked UMass Lowell to a 1-0 lead in the first inning but UMaine first baseman Joe Bramanti tied it up with a towering shot to left in the second.
Bramanti’s league-leading 16th homer triggered a four-run rally. An infield error, a walk and a sacrifice and another walk loaded the bases for Jake Marquez, who sharply grounded a two-run double down the third base line. He eventually scored on Jordan Schulefand’s sacrifice fly.
UMass Lowell scored two in the top of the third after the first two hitters were retired as Robert Gallagher walked and Genther, Gerry Siracusa and Brandon Fish followed with singles. Siracusa and Fish picked up runs batted in.
Bramanti’s mammoth homer in the bottom of the third and Quinn McDaniel’s clutch two-out run-scoring double in the fourth extended the lead to 6-3.
But UMass Lowell took a lead it would never relinquish in the fifth.
Gallagher doubled to open the inning and Genther delivered him with a single. Siracusa then hit a ball off the end that took a crazy spin to Bramanti’s right and rolled into right field. Tyler Nielsen came on in relief and hit Brandon Fish with his first pitch to load the bases.
Ryan Proto then went the opposite way and tripled down the right field line to clear the bases and he eventually scored on Frank Wayman’s sharp single to right.
UMaine had bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and the bases loaded with one out in the seventh but could only push across one run.
Wayman doubled home an insurance run in the ninth with two outs.
Pivotal plays: UMass Lowell reliever Matt Draper induced Bramanti to ground into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded in the sixth and Sal Fusco induced Schueland to pop up to second on a 2–0 pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. Each reliever then retired the last hitter to get out of the jam.
Takeaway: UMass Lowell didn’t let the loss of Standish freshman and leading hitter Jacob Humphrey (.337 45 stolen bases in 46 attempts), first baseman Cedric Rose (8 homers, 40 RBIs) and pitcher L.J. Keevan (5-4, 4.26 ERA) prevented them from upsetting UMaine.
UMaine’s pitching has been inconsistent and, at times, poor.
What is next: UMass Lowell will play Binghamton or NJIT on Friday at 11 a.m. and UMaine will play at 2:30 p.m. against an opponent yet to be determined.