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CLERMONT, Fla. – The UMass Lowell softball team dropped a pair of decisions on day two of the Dot Richardson Invitational in Clermont. The River Hawks, who are now 4-4 overall in 2015, fell, 2-0, against the University of Missouri – Kansas City before facing a 9-1 loss against South Dakota State University.
 
Sophomore Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) paced the team with a .600 average at the plate (3-5) and one RBI, while senior Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) went 2-for-5 on the day.  Juniors Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Brianna Martin (Meuthen, Mass.) also recorded two hits apiece.
 
"Our first game was close, but we just couldn't get the timely hits," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "We fought in the second game and kept battling all the way to the end."
 
UMKC got on the board in the first inning thanks to a sacrifice fly. Welch logged the River Hawks first hit of the day in the top of the second, but was left on base before the Roos extended their margin in the third on a RBI single.
 
UMass Lowell registered one hit in each of its next two trips to the dish off the bats of junior Emilia Davies (Parker, Colo.) and Martin, respectively. In the seventh, Welch led off with a one-bagger and freshman Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) followed with a base hit of her own, but the team was unable to rally, as UMKC earned the 2-0 decision.
 
In the second game of the day against South Dakota State, the Jack Rabbits rallied for five runs in the top of the second to pull ahead early. The River Hawks chipped away at the difference in the home half of the inning when Zinkiewicz led off with a double before advancing to third on a groundout by senior Ariana Darcy (Kingston, N.Y.) and scoring on a RBI hit by Welch.
 
UMass Lowell would not come any closer though. SDSU added three more runs in the top of the fourth and one in the seventh en route to the 9-1 win.
 
The River Hawks play their two final games of the tournament tomorrow, Sunday, February 15, beginning at 9 a.m. against Minnesota.