SETTERS COMPLETE SWEEP OF RIVER HAWKS WITH 7-3 WIN ON SENIOR DAY
PLEASANTVILLE, NY- Pace starter Bryan Hallberg (River Edge, NJ/Riverdell) improved to 5-3 on the season after holding UMass Lowell to three runs, two earned, on three hits while striking out nine in his 3rd complete game of the season. Pace improves to 29-16 overall and 14-10 in the Northeast-10 Conference while UMass Lowell drops to 31-11 overall and 18-9 in conference play.
The River Hawks struck first as Tim Manton (Swansea, MA) was hit-by-a-pitch to start the game. Manton then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Brendan Fullerton (Beverly, MA) then grounded out to second base, allowing Manton to score and give the River Hawks a 1-0 lead after one inning.
In the bottom half of the 1st, JC Pullum (White Plains, NY/Valhalla) led off the inning with a single to left center. Pullum was then bunted over to second by Matt McNichol (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic). After Jack Cawley (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) walked, Matt Arburr's (Bristol, CT/Bristol Eastern) chopper to first base was misplayed, allowing all runners to advance. Matt Castellano (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph) then singled to right field, scoring Pullum. Cawley would score on a passed ball to give Pace a 2-1 lead. After Mike Pahira (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) walked, Brian Hollrah (Glenwood, MD/Glenely) hit a tailored made double-play groundball to second base. The throw to second was offline, allowing Arburr and Castellano to score, giving Pace a 4-1 lead after one.
The Setters would strike again in the 2nd inning when Pullum once again led off the inning with a single, this one down the left field line. After McNichol was hit by a pitch, Joe Malzone (Leominster, MA) was called on to relieve Mark Sakelakos (Peabody, MA). Malzone then beaned the first batter he faced, Cawley, to load the bases. Arburr then followed with a sacrifice flyball down the leftfield line, scoring Pullum. Castellano then followed with a flyball to right center that would score McNichol. Pahira came up with an RBI single through the right side to score Cawley and give Pace a 7-1 lead after two innings.
Hallberg was absolutely masterful on the mound, retiring 17 out of the next 18 batters he faced from the 2nd through the 7th inning. In the 7th, Pace third baseman Adam Harwood (Los Angeles, CA/Brentwood) couldn't handle a line drive off the bat of Lowell's Patrick Wilson (Dracut, MA). Pat Donovan (Lowell, MA) followed with a double to right center, that would score Wilson, while Donovan was thrown out at third base on the relay.
In the 9th, Brendan Fullerton (Beverly, MA) hit a weak ground ball between the pitcher's mound and first base. Hallberg's flip to Arburr at first was not in time as the River Hawks had a lead-off hitter on base for the 2nd time in the game. Fullerton would move to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a ground out by Wilson. Steve Paddock (Milford, MA) flew out to right field, scoring Fullerton on the play. Hallberg would then strikeout Donovan to end Lowell's rally and the game.
At the plate for Pace, Pullum was 2-for-5 with two runs scored while Castellano drove in two runs in his first two at-bats. Cawley also score two runs for Pace.
For Lowell, Sakelakos drops to 5-2 on the year after allowing six runs, three earned, on three hits over one inning pitch.
Pace returns to action when they travel to Smithfield, RI on
Tuesday, May 2nd to take on the Bulldogs of Bryant
University in a Northeast-10 Conference game scheduled for 3:30
p.m.