Box Score
Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

UMass Lowell was limited to seven hits and suffered its first sweep of the season, 6-1 and 9-1, Saturday afternoon in a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader in New Haven, Conn.

With the losses, UMass Lowell slipped to 29-12 overall and 15-8 in the NE-10 entering Sunday's twin bill at New Haven (12:00). The losses also marked only the second time this season the River Hawks suffered consecutive losses.

Southern Connecticut improved to 31-5 overall and 19-3 in the Conference.

In the opener, Southern Connecticut scored two runs in the first and four in the fifth and never looked back en route to the win. Junior 2B Kate Hoffmann opened the rally in the first inning with an RBI single while junior 3B Alyssa Downs, who had been intentionally walked, stole home after reaching third on Hoffman's single.

The River Hawks pulled one back in the second when sophomore 3B Ali Ferraro (Kingston, N.Y.) walked and reached home on consecutive errors.

The Owls, however, uncorked four runs in the fifth behind a two-run single by senior RF Shawna Mallory and a two-run home run by junior CF Brittany Bucko immediately after.

Freshman RF Ariana Darcy (Walkill, N.Y.) batted 2 for 4 to lead UMass Lowell. Seven players had one hit for Southern Connecticut.

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Cockrill earned the win to improve to 13-2 and scattered three hits and six walks while striking out 10. Freshman Courtney Lanfranchi (Burlington, Mass.) took the loss (11-7) as she allowed seven hits, six earned runs and three walks while striking out two.

In the nightcap, Southern Connecticut scored one run in each of the second and third innings behind an RBI triple from junior C Stacy Pouliot and an RBI single from junior 1B Kristin Whitley. Pouliot ignited a four-run fourth inning with a two run double while DH Sarah Koerner reached home on a wild pitch. Mallory later singled to score Pouliot.

UMass Lowell pulled a run back in the fifth when junior CF Ashley Daniels (Medford, Mass.) singled and scored on a double by senior SS Meagan Guy (Berlin, Conn.).

Any comeback was quelled in the sixth, however, when a two-run shot by Hoffmann gave the Owls an 8-1 cushion.

Daniels batted 2 for 2 to lead UMass Lowell.

With the loss, senior pitcher Elyssa Boris (Gardner, Mass.) suffered her first loss since Mar. 24 (a 12-5 loss at Saint Anselm), hating a strong of seven straight games. Boris scattered 10 hits, nine runs and seven walks while striking out three, slipping to 18-5.

Senior pitcher Jayme Larson allowed four hits, one walk and a run while striking out eight to improve to 16-2. Hoffmann batted 3 for 4 with three RBI and two runs while Pouliot went 2 for 3.