Nashua’s Gates collects first win
- Updated: March 28, 2019
LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell baseball team used the momentum of a five-run third inning to pick up a 10-4 victory in its home opener against Marist on Wednesday evening.
Three River Hawks (5-17) recorded a pair of hits and Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) plated three runs, including two in the decisive rally. Andrew Roden (Sherill, N.Y.), Cam Climo (Billerica, Mass.) and Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) each scored twice, as well.
In a staff-by-committee day, eight UMass Lowell pitchers did not issue a walk and struck out 10 batters. Redshirt freshman Devin Gates (Nashua) picked up his first career win, and Matt Aronson (Leominster, Mass.) pitched a scoreless two innings with a pair of strikeouts.
“Anytime you can play a nine-inning ballgame and not walk anybody you’re going to have a chance to win,” Lowell coach Ken Harring said. “I thought every one of our arms really stepped up today and kept Marist away from solid contact. Offensively, we got quality at bats up and down the lineup and Oscar’s double really opened things up for us.”
With a run in the second off a Robert Gallagher (Mullica Hill, N.J.) fielder’s choice the hosts scored first for the third time in their last four contests. The Red Foxes (9-13) answered with a pair in the top of the third to take the 2-1 lead.
The River Hawks’ big inning began with a Joey Castellanos (Nutley, N.J.) single and a double from Young, before Roden reached on an infield single to knot the score. With the bases loaded, Passatempo reached on an error to score Young and put UMass Lowell back in front, 3-2.
Ted Leathersich (Beverly, Mass.) singled home Roden on the first pitch he saw, and on the very next throw to the plate Marchena launched a double to right center to score a pair and extend the gap to 6-2.
Castellanos added a run in the fifth on a RBI grounder following a double steal, and following a scoreless sixth, Ciaran Devenney (Manalapan, N.J.) sent his first UMass Lowell home run over the wall in left.
In the eighth frame, the hosts capped their scoring with a Leathersich double off the wall in left and Marchena’s third RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly.
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