April 25, 2009
Box Score
Audio Recap
Senior CF Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA) batted 4 for 6 with five runs and three RBI while sophomore DH Hilary Hopkins (Poway, CA) went 4 for 8 with three runs and three RBI as UMass Lowell defeated Saint Michael’s, 9-1 and 8-3 Saturday in a Northeast-10 Conference softball twin bill at River View Field.
The victories were the third and fourth straight for the River Hawks, who improved to 10-29-1 overall and 9-16-1 in the NE-10 entering Sunday’s regular season finale against American International College (1:00).
Saint Michael’s slipped to 10-26 overall and 6-20 in the Conference and visit Franklin Pierce Sunday at 12:00.
Freshman C Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, MA) batted 3 for 7 with two runs and two RBI, including her team-high seventh home run of the season. UMass Lowell compiled 11 hits in each game.
In the opener, UMass Lowell erupted for three runs in the first inning and two in the second and never looked back en route to the win. Hopkins, Panarelli and freshman 1B Caelyn Ford (Dracut, MA) each had RBI singles in succession in the first inning.
Lajoie highlighted the second inning with an RBI single and later scored on a groundout.
Freshman P Elyssa Boris (Gardner, MA) allowed just three hits, one run and one walk while striking out two before being replaced in the sixth by freshman P Marissa Fiorentino (Tewksbury, MA). Fiorentino retired all three batters in the sixth.
Freshman P Hillary Berno (St. Albans, VT) took the loss as she scattered four hits, five runs (two earned) and a walk while striking out three in 2.0 innings.
Hopkins batted 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBI while Lajoie went 2 for 3 with 3 runs and two RBI.
Sophomore DH Kate Condon (Holliston, MA) led the Purple Knights as she went 1 for 2 with an RBI single in the second inning.
In the nightcap, UMass Lowell broke a 2-2 tie with five runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a pair of two-run singles by sophomore RF Hannah May (Hardwick, MA) and Boris, as well as an RBI single by Hopkins.
Sophomore P Rachel Schafler (Floral Park, NY) improved to 2-1 as she scattered five hits, three runs (two earned) and a walk while striking out one. Lajoie batted 2 for 3 with two runs and one RBI while Panarelli also hit 2 for 3 with a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Senior CF Ashley Harkins (Colchester, VT) led Saint Michael’s, hitting 2 for 3 with an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Senior P Meghan O’Connor (Georgetown, MA) took the loss as she allowed 11 hits, eight runs (six earned) and a walk while striking out two.
