ANDOVER, Mass. (Interstat) — The Merrimack Warriors erupted for seven runs in a chaotic bottom of the second inning and rode a parade of dominant relievers to an 11-4 victory over the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks in non-conference baseball Tuesday afternoon at Merrimack Baseball Diamond.

The game’s decisive turn came immediately after the River Hawks had staked themselves to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Scott Donahue’s two-run double was the key hit in the frame, which also saw a run score on a wild pitch. The early advantage was short-lived.

Merrimack responded by sending 12 batters to the plate in the home half of the second, capitalizing on shaky Massachusetts-Lowell pitching and defense. The Warriors scored seven runs on only four hits, benefiting from two walks, a hit batter, and a critical error by River Hawks second baseman Jorge Burgos. With the bases loaded and one out, Jack Andrews grounded out to bring in the first run. Brett McKinnon followed with an RBI double to make it 4-2.

The inning continued when Burgos’ error on a grounder by DeShiro Matt allowed McKinnon to score. Cristino Greg then delivered a two-run single to put Merrimack ahead 5-4. Pinch-hitter Christian Scanlon, who stayed in the game in right field, capped the outburst by launching a two-run, unearned home run to right-center field, extending the lead to 7-4.

From there, the Warriors’ bullpen took over, silencing the River Hawks’ bats. Samuel Franco, named the top star for Merrimack, entered to start the third inning and was flawless. He struck out four over three perfect innings, stabilizing the game after the offensive explosion. He was followed by AJ Holmes, Owen Zadrozny, and Zach Broderick, who combined for 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief. The only Massachusetts-Lowell run after the second inning came in the seventh on a Cal Chance groundout.

Merrimack added insurance in the fifth inning, scoring four more runs on four hits, including RBI singles from Jack DePalma and Cristino Greg and a sacrifice fly from DeShiro Matt, to build an 11-4 lead.

For Massachusetts-Lowell, reliever Seamus Scott provided a bright spot, throwing 3 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings after the Warriors’ big fifth. The River Hawks managed only four hits total, with Donahue’s two-RBI double representing their only significant offensive production.

Merrimack improved to .500 on the season at 10-10, while Massachusetts-Lowell fell to 8-12. The Warriors’ victory defied a pregame projection from Interstat, which had simulated a 7-5 Merrimack win and gave the Warriors a 54 percent probability of victory.

Both teams return to action Wednesday. Merrimack travels to face Boston College, while Massachusetts-Lowell hosts Northeastern.