April 10, 2011
Box Score
The UMass Lowell softball team dropped a pair of Northeast-10 Conference games to the Southern Connecticut Owls on Sunday afternoon on River View Field, snapping their three-game win streak. They fell 5-4 in a close tilt before dropping a 12-3 decision in five innings in the late game.
The squad, coming off a sweep of New Haven on Saturday, currently stands at 18-14 on the year and 4-6 in conference action. The Owls, who split with Merrimack yesterday, now own a 13-10 record overall and 6-4 mark in NE-10 play.
In the first game of the afternoon, Southern Connecticut jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning and eventually owned a 5-0 advantage by the top of the fifth.
UMass Lowell chipped away with a run in the bottom of the inning on a double by sophomore 2B Krista MacKenzie (Ipswich, Mass.) that scored junior SS Meagan Guy (Berlin, Conn.) to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
The River Hawks tried for a late-game rally, tallying three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but fell one-run shy of extending the game. Guy started the rally with a triple to right field and was once again scored by MacKenzie. Senior 1B Heather Ross (Waltham, Mass.) followed up with a double and was brought home by junior P Elyssa Boris (Gardner, Mass.).
Boris was credited with the loss, her 10th of the year, after pitching four innings and allowing four runs - one earned - on five hits. She was relieved by Rachel Schafler (Floral Park, N.Y.) for three innings. Schafler allowed one run on a pair of hits. Southern Connecticut's Jayme Larson pitched the complete game for her eighth win of the year.
MacKenzie went 2-3 in the game with a pair of RBI, while Guy went 2-3, as well, scoring twice.
The second game of the afternoon was a tighter contest, with the Owls leading 3-2 through three innings. They came back with an eight-run inning in the top of the fourth to lead the River Hawks 11-1 by the bottom of the inning. They eventually held on for the 12-3 victory in five innings.
The majority of the River Hawk offense was generated in the third, as MacKenzie led with a single, advancing on a base hit by Boris. A double from sophomore RF Katie Mazure (Burlington, Mass.) brought home MacKenzie before Boris scored on an error.
They followed up with one run in the fourth thanks to a solo home run by junior C Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) to lead off the inning, but they were unable to rally from behind before the game ended.
Boris and Schafler split the pitching duties, as Boris went 3 1/3 innings, allowing nine runs on six hits. Schafler went 1 2/3 innings, letting up three runs on five hits. Southern Connecticut's Brittany Hill picked up her second win of the year after pitching the complete game.
The River Hawks return to action on Tuesday afternoon for a conference doubleheader against Saint Michael's College, beginning at 3 p.m. on River View Field.
