Skyhawks Postseason Hopes Dashed

Lowell, Mass. - With their postseason hopes on the line, Stonehill split a pair of games at UMass-Lowell when it needed a sweep and the Skyhawks see their season come to an end following a 7-3 win and a 3-1loss on Monday afternoon at LeLacheur Park.

The Skyhawks wrap up the 2008 campaign with a 25-22 overall record and a 16-14 mark in the Northeast-10. The River Hawks, who secured their spot in the Northeast-10 Tournament with the win, move to 26-23 and 18-12 in Conference action.

Stonehill had all the momentum following a game one win that saw Nate Weber (Hanson, Mass.) go 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Matt Giusti (Hopkinton, Mass.) got the win for Skyhawks, tossing a complete game, to improve to 8-4 on the season, after allowing three earned runs on seven hits and 10 strikeouts.

In addition to Weber's output, Ryan Healey (Lynn, Mass.) was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Shane Franz (Cazenovia, N.Y.) had two hits and two RBI. Matt Orr (Wilton, Conn.) was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

The Skyhawks scored three runs in the top of the first on two hits and two River Hawk miscues. Another run came across in the second on a Healey single and two more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Weber and an RBI single from Franz.

The River Hawks got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Luke Wallace led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a error.

The final Stonehill run came on a triple by Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine) that scored Weber.

James Barry took the loss for UMass-Lowell, allowing seven runs, three earned, on 11 hits over 6.2 innings.

In game two, Jeffrey Maloney retired the first 13 Skyhawk batters he faced and the River Hawks got all the runs they would need in the fourth to record a playoff-clinching 3-1 win.

He worked 7.2 innings and struck out six to win his fifth game of the year.

Anthony Santos had a RBI double and Taylor von Kriegenbergh knocked in two more runs with a single to left field.

Stonehill got its lone run on an RBI double from Mitch Davis (Bow, N.H.) in the eighth.

Mat Lindenmayer (Penfield, N.Y.) took the loss for the Skyhawks, surrendering three runs on six hits over eight innings of work.