Score: #4 UMass Lowell 5, #5 UAlbany 4
Location: Bearcats Baseball Complex - Vestal, N.Y.
Records: UAlbany (15-33-1, 10-13 America East) | UMass Lowell (22-29, 11-12 America East)
Short Story: It was a back-and-forth contest as the Great Danes and the River Hawks battled for the first-round win. Ultimately, UMass Lowell scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Key Stat Lines
Head Coach Jon Mueller: "Great college baseball game. [Dylan] Banner steadied the ship in the middle and we climbed back in front. UMass Lowell did just enough to get the job done. I am very proud of this group. They brought us back to the tournament and fought until the end."
How it Happened:
- Dylan Banner started on the bump for the Great Danes. Michael Simes got the start for the River Hawks.
- UML's leadoff batter, Trey Brown, opened the bottom of the first with a single to left field.
- The Great Danes' infielders, Ryan Ferremi and Cooper Loyal, combined for a double play to clear the bases.
- The River Hawks persisted and scored a run with a runner on third and a single.
- UMass Lowell extended their lead to 3-0 after two innings with two RBI hits in the bottom of the second - a double and a single.
- After a scoreless third inning, the Great Danes answered in the fourth.
- Will Binder started the fourth with a leadoff single to get on base.
- One out on the board and a 1-1 count and Jared Toby slugs the ball over the fence so far the left fielder doesn't even try to go for it.
- Retiring the River Hawks in three in both the fourth and fifth innings, UAlbany tied the score at three in the sixth.
- Batting with a new pitcher, Brendan Williams, Luke Filippi hit an infield single before making it to second on a throwing error. Taking advantage of another UML throwing error, Filippi made it home for the game-tying run.
- Battling for the game win, both teams earned one run in the eighth inning.
- Ferremi and Will Binder combined for back-to-back hits. Taking advantage of his speed, Ferremi made it home from first when Binder hit a double to right center.
- UML answered with a solo shot over right field to tie it up at four.
- UAlbany put two runners on with a double and a base on balls but it was the River Hawks taking advantage of their base runner in the ninth. With two outs on the board, Brown tallied his third hit, a double, for his second RBI and Brandon Fish scored the game-winning run.
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