Baseball Clinches Series With 3-2 Victory Over UMass Lowell
BOX SCORE
ALBANY, N.Y. – Freshman pitcher Stephen Woods picked up his first collegiate win Sunday in the University at Albany’s series rubbermatch with conference foe UMass Lowell. The Great Danes scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 3-2 victory. With the win, UAlbany improved to 6-16 overall and 4-5 in America East play, while the River Hawks fell to 9-10 on the season and 3-2 in conference.
Woods (1-2) tossed the final three innings and held UMass Lowell scoreless with just one hit and one walk, while striking out two. Starter Kevin Archbold left the mound with the score tied 2-2 after a solid six innings on the hill, including five scoreless frames. Archbold limited the River Hawks to two runs, seven hits, while striking out seven.
At the plate, the Great Danes boasted a balanced attack as eight-of-nine batters logged a hit. Both squads finished with a total of eight hits in the game.
UAlbany took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as D.J. Hoagboon set the tone with a leadoff triple to the centerfield gap. Senior Brian Bullard brought him home with a sacrifice fly, also to center. With two outs, junior Craig Lepre kept the inning alive with a single to right-center and Alex Lushkevich followed with an RBI single through the right side.
Dueling UML starter Christian Lavoie, Archbold held the River Hawks off until the sixth when they finally broke onto the board with a game-tying two runs. Lining three straight hits, Matthew Sanchez led off with a single to left field, Jimmy Ricoy followed with a double down the left field line, and Danny Mendick capped the rally with a two-run single down the left field line.
The Great Danes scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth without the need for a hit, as Lushkevich drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Charlie Peltz’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on a pair of wild pitches.
The River Hawks looked to rally in the top of the ninth when Matt Mottola led off with a single and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt. However, Woods bared down and recorded a strikeout and a groundout to short to end the game.
UML reliever Steve Xirinach (1-1) took the loss, allowing one run in one and a third innings.
Up next, UAlbany travels to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Tuesday to face Marist in a non-conference clash. The Great Danes are back home next weekend, hosting UMBC for an America East three-game series.
