The UMass Lowell softball team split their doubleheader on Saturday at the Coppin State tournament in Baltimore, Md., beating Mount St. Mary's 9-8 in extra innings before falling to La Salle 5-2.
 
In what would be a reverse of fortunes, the River Hawks ended up on the winning end of an extra inning affair in the first game as freshmen Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) hit a sacrifice fly to bring Ali Ferraro (Kingston, N.Y.) home from third in the eighth inning.
 
Sophomore Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) got herself out of a jam in the top of the eighth; striking out two Mountaineers to get out of a bases loaded jam. Handley would pick up her first win of the '13-'14 campaign.
 
The River Hawks struck first, as Ariana Darcy (Wallkill, N.Y.) came home on a double to center from Emily O'Brien (Salem, N.H.) in the home half of the first inning. 
 
Darcy continued to swing a hot bat, going 4-for-5 with three singles and also hit her second solo homer in as many days.
 
Welch and Brianna Martin (Methuen, Mass.) each finished with two RBI.
 
The River Hawks jumped out to an early lead against the Explorers, scoring both of their runs on a triple by Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) in the third inning.
 
From that point on it was all La Salle. The Explorers scored a run in the fifth and added four more in the sixth before La Salle's Alicia Aughton retired the side to end the game.
 
The River Hawks now stand at 2-12, and will take on tournament host Coppin State to wrap up the weekend at 10 a.m. Sunday.