SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant baseball team welcomes UMass Lowell to Conaty Park this weekend for a crucial America East series. The series starts Friday with a single game at 3:00 p.m. and concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

Bryant is coming off a series sweep of Binghamton and sits in third place in the standings at 5-4. UMass Lowell dropped two of three to UMBC last weekend and is 5-7 in America East play.

The Particulars
Opponent: UMass Lowell
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Friday, Apr. 18 - 3:00 PM | Saturday, April 19 - 12:00 PM (Doubleheader)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Video: ESPN+ (Friday) | AETV (Saturday)
Game Notes: Bryant
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Probable Starting Pitchers

Friday - Michael Belcher vs Alfred Mucciarone
Saturday - Clay Robbins vs Brendan Holland
Saturday - Luke Delongchamp vs Kevin Zarnoch Jr.

• The Bulldogs debuted a revamped weekend rotation last weekend at Binghamton and will roll with it again this weekend vs the River Hawks. 
• Belcher pitched on Friday and had mixed results, allowing five runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Belcher limited the Bearcats to three runs through four innings but hit a wall in the fifth and was chased with the bases loaded.
• Belcher remains one of the league's top young arms, having struck out 35 and walked just nine in 34.0 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out five in 5.0 innings vs UML two weeks ago.
• Robbins has pitched well over his last two league starts, including 5.0 shutout innings at UMass Lowell two weeks ago. Last weekend at Binghamton, he allowed just one run on three hits over 4.2 innings.He walked three and struck out three.
• On the year, Robbins has a 4.26 ERA in three league starts. He's allowed just 10 hits, and just two extra-base hits, in 12.2 innings.
• Delongchamp delivered his longest outing of the season last Sunday at Binghamton, allowing four runs on four hits over 5.0 innings. He walked three and struck out two.
• Two weeks ago, Delongchamp allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits over 4.0 innings at UMass Lowell. He walked one and struck out four.
• Mucciarone is a bonafide Friday start for the River Hawks and comes into the weekend with 44 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 45.2 innings. He owns a 5.52 ERA.
• He allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits over 4.0 innings against the Bulldogs but has thrown at least 6.0 innings in his two starts since. Last week vs UMBC, he struck out nine and allowed just one run on three hits over 6.0 innings.
• Holland will look forward to facing the Black and Gold again after tying a UMass Lowell DI single-game record with 11 strikeouts in his first start vs Bryant. He struck out eight over 5.2 innings at Maine but allowed five runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings vs UMBC last weekend. 
• Holland is 2-5 with a 8.47 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 11 walks in 45.2 innings.
• Zarnoch will be making his seventh start of the year and is 0-5 with a 9.53 ERA. He has struck out 33 and walked 18 in 34.0 innings. Zarnoch pitched in relief vs Bryant two weeks ago, tossing 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits, didnt walk a batter and struck out five. He has struck out 10 and walked one over his last 10.1 innings. 

Bryant vs. UMass Lowell

• UMass Lowell owns a 9-8 lead in the DI series between the two longtime regional rivals. The River Hawks won 2-of-3 in the first series between the programs this year.
• Bryant won the most recent series between the teams at Conaty Park, taking 2-of-3 last April.
• Two weeks ago, UMass Lowell swept a Friday doubleheader, 15-6 and 5-4. Bryant won the series finale, 9-2.
• Bryant grabbed a 6-5 lead in the first game but the River Hawks scored five times in fifth and five times in the sixth to earn the victory.
• In game two, Bryant led 3-1 after four but UML took a 4-3 lead with a home run in the eighth. Bryant tied the game in the top of the ninth but the River Hawks walked it off with a single in the bottom of the ninth.
• The Bulldogs jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings in the finale, taking advantage of five UML errors. Drew Wyers had the big game for Bryant, collecting three hits and five RBI.0

Bulldog Notes and Notables

• Bryant is 16-15-1 overall and 5-4 in league play. The Bulldogs are currently on a season-best five-game winning streak.
• Gavin Noriega has bumped his average up to .305, going 7-for-15 with two home runs and eight RBI over his last three games. He's hit safely in 9-of-10 and is tied for the league lead with 34 RBI. 
• Gavin Greger enters the weekend hitting .378 with nine RBI in America East play this season. He hit his first home run of the year in Sunday's series finale at Binghamton.
• Drew Wyers leads the America East with a 1.135 OPS on the year. He is hitting .500 (15-for-30) with three doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI and a .595 OBP in America East play.
• Pat D'Amico is also performing well in league play, hitting 387 with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 13 RBI. He has a .474 OBP and a 1.345 OPS.
• Toby Scheidt and Kyle Rizy have both pitched well in league play for the Bulldogs. Scheidt earned two saves last weekend and has a 2.00 ERA in five appearances (9.0 innings).
• Rizy has thrown 9.1 innings of relief over three appearances, posting 10 strikeouts and just two walks. He allowed one run on two hits over 3.0 innings of relief at UML two weeks ago.

Scouting the River Hawks

• UMass Lowell is 13-22 overall and 5-7 in league play entering the weekend. The River Hawks are 2-4 vs UMBC and lost two of three to Maine in addition to their series win against the Bulldogs.
• The River Hawks are tied for the league lead with a .288 team average and have slugged 78 doubles. UML owns a team ERA of 7.56.
• Brandon Fish leads the league with a .385 average and has 13 doubles, two triples and two home runs. 
• Alex Luccini (.326, 11 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR) and Carlos Martinez (.296, 7 2B, 5 HR) give the River Hawks three potent left-handed bats.
• Martinez has a team-best 11 RBI in America East play and was 5-for-11 with two homers and six RBI vs Bryant.
• Nick DiRito and Dylan Bedder are the top options out of the bullpen so far this year for UML. DiRito has made seven appearances in 12 league games, throwing 17.2 innings. He has walked nine and struck out 14. DiRito threw 2.2 total innings in two appearances vs Bryant in the first series and threw 6.2 innings over two outings last weekend vs UMBC.
• Bedder has struck out 11 and walked just four in 9.1 innings of work in league play. He threw 1.1 scoreless vs Bryant and pitched 3.0 innings of relief over two appearances last weekend vs UMBC.