April 18, 2009
Box Score
Junior 2B Katie Hebert (Lowell, MA) batted 5 for 8 with three runs and two RBI as UMass Lowell split with the College of Saint Rose Saturday afternoon in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Esposito Field.
Saint Rose erased a 2-0 deficit to win the opener, 3-2, while the River Hawks exacted revenge in the nightcap, 8-4.
With the split, UMass Lowell stands at 6-27-1 overall and 5-14-1 in the NE-10 entering Sunday’s twin bill at Le Moyne (12:00). Saint Rose is currently 9-21 and 5-515 in the Conference.
In the opener, Hebert and freshman RF Paula Ruszkowski (Reading, MA) each batted 1 for 3 with one RBI as the River Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the second and third innings.
Ruszkowski drove in freshman P Elyssa Boris (Gardner, MA) with a groundout in the second while Hebert doubled in sophomore SS Stephanie Rollo (Dracut, MA) in the third.
Saint Rose pulled one back in the fifth behind an RBI single by junior RF Megan Rios, and added two in the sixth when senior LF Kerry Monahan hit a sac fly to score senior SS Ashley Anderson and junior pinch hitter Lauren Ruggierio singled home junior C Amanda Morano.
Boris took the loss to slip to 2-14 as she allowed six hits, three runs and two walks while striking out six.
Senior P Nicole Welch earned the win (5-10), scattering five hits, two runs (one earned) and no walks while striking out eight.
In the nightcap, Hebert batted 4 for 5 with three runs and one RBI to lead a host of stellar offensive efforts.
Sophomore 3B Hilary Hopkins (Poway, CA) batted 2 for 3 with two RBI and one run while senior CF Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA) went 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run.
Saint Rose was led by Morano, who batted 4 for 4 with two RBI, including a solo home run.
The River Hawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings as Lajoie and freshman C Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, MA) each hit solo home runs in the first and second innings. Freshman 3B Caelyn Ford (Dracut, MA) and Ruszkowski each walked with the bases loaded to highlight the fourth.
The Golden Knights came back with three runs in the bottom half of the third behind an RBI double by Anderson and an RBI single by Morano. Senior CF Jaime Clark also scored on a wild pitch.
UMass Lowell added a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Hopkins; and extended the lead to 6-3 in the sixth behind an RBI single by Lajoie and a sac fly by Hopkins.
An RBI single by Hebert capped the scoring in the seventh inning, but the Golden Knights continued to threaten in the bottom half.
Lajoie robbed Clark of a sure base hit with a diving catch in centerfield. On the next play, Lajoie nearly stole a home run off, but caught the ball as she toppled over the fence.
Freshman P Marissa Fiorentino (Tewksbury, MA) earned the win to improve to 2-6 as she replaced sophomore Nicole Monroe (Townsend, MA) in the fourth and surrendered two hits, one run and no walks while striking out three in 4.0 innings.
Welch took the loss as she slipped to 5-11, scattering five hits, four runs (two earned) and three walks while striking out two in 2.2 innings.
