Box Score Freshman RF Ariana Darcy (Walkill, N.Y.) batted 3 for 3 with two RBI and three runs while senior pitcher Elyssa Boris (Gardner, Mass.) went 2 for 2 with two RBI and two walks as UMass Lowell defeated Merrimack, 9-6, Thursday afternoon in a Northeast-10 Conference softball clash at Warrior Diamond.

The nightcap of Thursday's doubleheader was suspended in the fourth inning due to darkness with the score knotted at 0-0. A rescheduled date has yet to be decided.

The win was UMass Lowell's third straight as it improved to 16-7 overall and 6-3 in the NE-10 entering Saturday's twin bill at Le Moyne (12:00) and Sunday's at Le Moyne (12:00). Merrimack slipped to 8-9 overall and 2-3 in the Conference.

Darcy also drew a pair of walks while Boris drew three. With her two RBI on the day, Boris currently has 124 career RBI and is eyeing the school record of 127 set by Laurie Tanguay (2005-08).

Junior 2B Krista MacKenzie (Ipswich, Mass.) batted 2 for 5 with two runs and one RBI.

Junior SS Tawny Palmieri led Merrimack, batting 2 for 2 with two runs, two RBI and two walks while sophomore RF Nicole LoPilato went 2 for 3 and sophomore 2B Ashley Perry 2 for 3 with two runs and one RBI.

UMass Lowell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Darcy doubled down the left field line and later scored when MacKenzie doubled to right center. Boris also hit a double to right center to score MacKenzie.

The River Hawks led 5-2 going into the sixth inning and erupted for four runs to post a 9-2 cushion. Darcy cracked her second solo shot of the game to start the rally while senior C Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.), junior 3B Bri Mahoney (Billerica, Mass.) and sophomore CF Ali Ferraro (Kingston, N.Y.) each drew walks with the bases loaded.

Merrimack, however, answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Perry and Palmieri belted back-to-back solo home runs while sophomore Jessica Fugazzotto singled and later scored on an error. Senior LF Alex Gallant reached home during a rundown to cap the scoring.

Freshman pitcher Courtney Lanfranchi (Burlington, Mass.) earned the win to improved to 6-3. Lanfranchi surrendered seven hits, two earned runs and two walks in 4.0 innings before being replaced by Boris in the fifth inning. Boris allowed five hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out three.

Junior Kelli Jo Deardorff (3-2) took the loss as she scattered 10 hits, eight earned runs and three walks while striking out two in 5.1 innings.

In the nightcap, Boris and Alie Thomas were locked in a pitchers duel as Boris and Lanfranchi, who pitched the first two innings, allowed only one hit and four walks between them. Thomas yielded two hits and six walks before the game was suspended.

UMass Lowell had stranded seven runners and Merrimack five.