Skyhawks give up 14 runs on 19 hits in loss

Senior Michael White went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one run batted in.

LOWELL, Mass. (March 28, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked fourth overall in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, dropped a 14-6 decision to UMass Lowell on Wednesday afternoon at LeLacheur Park in Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) action.

Second baseman James Katsiroubas (Milton, MA/Milton High School) paced the River Hawks offensively with a 4-for-5 showing at the plate alongside two runs scored and four runs batted in. Senior Dallas Nunes (Easton, MA/Oliver Ames) picked up his first win of the season over seven innings of work, nine hits, two runs (both earned), zero walks and a game-high nine punchouts.

For Stonehill, senior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) was handed the loss on two-and-one-thirds innings pitched, six hits, seven runs (all earned), two walks and two strikeouts. Classmate Brendan Wright (Easton, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) turned in a scoreless sixth inning allowing two hits while fanning one batter.

Ahead 1-0 in the bottom half of the third inning, UMass Lowell pushed across six runs to break open the contest. Katsiroubas gave the River Hawks a 3-0 advantage with a two-run single to centerfield and freshman catcher Jacob O'Keefe (Wellington, Fla./American Heritage Boca/Delray) capped the scoring with a two-run single down the left field line to highlight the frame.

Stonehill cut into the deficit in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. Senior first baseman Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) led off the inning with a single to right field and immediately scored on a Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) to make it 7-1. After senior designated hitter Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) notched an infield single and Fratus advanced to third base, sophomore right fielder Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) trimmed the deficit to 7-2 with a run-producing single through the right side.

UMass Lowell answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to increase its advantage over the Skyhawks to 10-2. Senior first baseman Mark Sanborn (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) drove home a run with a single up the middle and freshman right fielder Jimmy Ricoy (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) plated a run with a double to left center. The River Hawks also scored a run off of a throwing error.

Senior third baseman Cam Kneeland (Rowley, MA/Triton Regional) went 4-for-6 with one run scored and two RBI's out of the third spot in lineup and O'Keefe went 1-for-4 with one run scored and two runs batted in from the ninth slot.

White collected three hits for Stonehill (3-for-5), two runs scored and one RBI, Karalis finished the game going 2-for-5 with one run scored and two runs driven in and Fratus and Popp posted identical lines at the plate (2-for-5, one run, one RBI).

Stonehill (14-9, 2-3 NE-10, 0-1 Northeast Division) returns to action tomorrow as it hosts Assumption College in NE-10 play at 3:30 p.m. at Lou Gorman Field. UMass Lowell (13-7, 3-1-1 NE-10, 1-0 Northeast Division) hosts Franklin Pierce University on Saturday in NE-10 doubleheader action with game one scheduled for noon.