Baseball Falls to UMass Lowell, 2-1 in NE-10 First Round Wednesday

BASEBALL FALLS TO UMASS LOWELL, 2-1 WEDNESDAY
Bulldogs Eliminated from Northeast-10 Tournament
Boxscore

LOWELL, Mass. –  UMass Lowell senior Brad Laurin allowed just one run on six hits and struck out 11 to lead the River Hawks to a 2-1 win over the Bryant University baseball team in the first round of the 2005 Northeast-10 Conference baseball tournament Wednesday.  The River Hawks will advance to face top-seeded Southern Connecticut on Friday. 

Laurin, who came into the game with just three wins this season, kept the Bulldogs in check in the early going. However, the Bulldogs (22-21) would push across a run in the third off Laurin to take an early lead. 

Jason Alexander led off the inning with a single up the middle.  He would move up to second following a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Adam Rourke.  After walk to Mike Rocco, Alexander would score from second on a single by Daryle Crowley on a 1-2 pitch that was drilled into the left-center gap, giving Alexander plenty of time to score.

The lead would last just one inning for the Bulldogs as UMass Lowell got to Bryant starter Matt Gaynor with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth.  After going quietly in the third, UML’s Nate Liebenow lined a one-out single up the middle.   One batter later, Liebenow would score all the way from first as Patrick Wilson drilled a double to the base of the center field wall to even the score at 1-1.

Gaynor would walk the next batter but get Bob Theriault to ground out to third base. After Ryan Davenport drew another walk to load the bases, Dan Pope drew a bases loaded walk to give the River Hawks a 2-1 lead. A lead they would never relinquish.

Laurin, UML’s all-time career strikeouts leader, retired 11 of the final 12 batters, allowing just one base runner on in the final three innings.  Gaynor took the loss after going 3 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out one before he was replaced by David Rappoli in the fourth.  Rappoli pitched well, allowing just three hits and fanning three River Hawk batters.

Mickey Ryan had two of Bryant’s six hits in the game while Liebenow had a pair of hits for UMass Lowell.

Bryant likely ends its season ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA Northeast Regional poll. The NCAA will announce the four teams for the NCAA regional this Sunday.