April 26, 2009
Box Score
UMass Lowell surrendered two runs in the seventh inning of the opener and suffered a 10-8, 10-inning heartbreak in the nightcap in a pair of losses to American International College Sunday in a Northeast-10 Conference twin bill at River View Field.
With the losses, UMass Lowell caps the season 10-31-1 overall and 9-18-1 in the NE-10. The Yellow Jackets improved to 23-21 overall and 15-13 in the Conference and visit the University of New Haven in the first round of the NE-10 Tournament Wednesday.
Senior CF Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA), UMass Lowell’s lone senior, was recognized for a standout career prior to the second game. In her final doubleheader, Lajoie batted 2 for 8, including 2 for 5 with two runs in the nightcap.
In the second game, UMass Lowell overcame an 8-0 deficit with one run in the second inning, three in the third and four in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.
Lajoie singled and reached home on a pair of errors when sophomore RF Hannah May (Hardwick, MA) reach third on the same play. May then scored on a wild pitch and Boris followed with a single up the middle to set up a two-run blast by freshman C Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, MA) to knot the score at 8-8.
The Yellow Jackets, however, took advantage in the 10th when freshman CF Ashley St. Peter (Gill, MA) scored on a wild pitch and junior 2B Michelle Franey (Abington, MA) later scored on an error.
In the bottom half, UMass Lowell had runners on second and third with one out, but were unable to capitalize.
AIC erupted for eight runs in the first inning as freshman RF Sarah Calgreen (Stratford, CT) started the rally when she reached home on a wild pitch. Junior C Katie Elie (Worcester, MA) followed with a two-run single and junior LF Nicole Benoit (Walpole, MA) added an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.
St. Peter then followed with a double to right field and reached home on a double by sophomore DH Becky Dion (Raynham, MA). Senior SS Deanna Zanetti (Hampden, MA) capped the rally with a two-run triple.
The River Hawks, however, chipped away as Ford highlighted the first inning with an RBI single while freshman 1B Elyssa Boris (Gardner, MA) led the third inning with an RBI single and Panarelli a two-run single to cut the lead to 8-4.
Freshman P Marissa Fiorentino (Tewksbury, MA) took the hard luck loss as she allowed two unearned runs, no hits and four walks while striking out six to slip to 2-7.
Senior P Ashley Deegan (Durham, CT) improved to 7-11 as she scattered seven hits, five runs (four earned) and five walks while striking out three.
Boris batted 3 for 5 with two runs and one RBI while Panarelli went 2 for 5 with four RBI and a run. Elie led AIC, hitting 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run while Dion batted 2 for 5 with one run and one RBI.
In the opener, St. Peter hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to break a 0-0 deadlock. Calgreen reached on a walk while Deegan also drew a walk to set up St. Peter’s heroics.
In the bottom half, freshman 1B Caelyn Ford (Dracut, MA) singled and freshman LF Nikko Tremblay (Merrimack, NH) drew a walk to bring UMass Lowell within striking distance. Both advanced a base on a throwing error, but the River Hawks were unable to convert.
The loss spoiled a stellar effort by Boris, who allowed three hits, two earned runs and four walks while striking out seven.
Freshman P Kristen Dolan (Norwood, MA) improved to 13-7 as she scattered five hits and a walk while striking out five.
Ford batted 2 for 3 to lead UMass Lowell.
