MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's baseball team bounced back from a tough start to end a five-game skid with a 5-3 win over UMass at Smithson Field on Friday afternoon in the first of a three-game weekend series.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The game got off to an auspicious start as UMass (6-23 overall, 1-9 Atlantic 10) took an immediate lead on a solo home run by leadoff hitter Zack Zaetta.  Will MacLean would then reach on an error and come around to score on another one to give the visitors a 2-0 lead in the first.

• MacLean would extend the lead to 3-0 in the fourth with a solo home run down the right field line.

• Saint Joseph's (13-19 overall, 5-5 Atlantic 10) would get back into the game soon after, as Ryan Picollo reached on an error to start the inning before scoring on a single by Luca Trigiani.  Brett Callahan followed with a rocket over the fence in right to tie the game at 3-3.

• Picollo chipped in a longball of his own in the sixth to give the Hawks the lead and Justin Igoe hit a two-out single to score Conlan Wall in the seventh to push the lead to 5-3.

• Cole Stetzar came on in relief of Will McCausland and rolled a double play ball in both the eighth and ninth innings; the latter ended the game with the tying run at the plate.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• McCausland was strong once again for the Hawks, allowing two earned runs on just three hits while striking out five and not walking a batter in seven innings to improve to 4-2 on the year.  Jack Pawloski started for UMass but did not factor into the decision after allowing two earned runs on four hits in four and two-thirds innings.

• Sam Belliveau allowed a run on two hits in an inning and a third of relief to fall to 0-1, while Stetzar notched his second save of the season with a pair of shutout innings.

• Picollo enjoyed the only multi-hit game for either side on the day; he also scored twice.

• After the rocky start to the first inning, McCausland found his groove, retiring eight Minutemen in a row before MacLean's home run.  He then sent down the next 10 batters he faced before allowing an infield single; all told, he finished off his outing by retiring 12 of the final 13 hitters he faced.

UP NEXT
The Hawks and Minutemen will play the middle game of the weekend set on Saturday.  First pitch has been moved up to 1:00 p.m.