Box Score 1 (PDF) | Box Score 2 (PDF)

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The UMass Lowell softball team dropped a pair of decisions on the first day of the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament hosted by the University of South Florida in Clearwater.
 
The River Hawks (8-9) played evenly matched with their opponents for the majority of both games. The squad fell, 5-3, against St. Joseph's (11-4) before facing an 11-7 setback in extra innings against Colgate (3-3).
 
"I thought we played hard today, but we did not have our A-game," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "Tomorrow is a new day and I know we will play better."
 
Senior Abby Jamieson (Billerica, Mass.) and junior Brianna Martin (Methuen, Mass.) hit .286 (2-7) with three RBI each to lead the squad. Senior Ariana Darcy (Kingston, N.Y.) and junior Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) also added two hits apiece. Junior Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) took the decision in game one, striking out three in six innings, while sophomore Erica Armenti (Shrewsbury, Mass.) hurled 7.2 innings in game two with six strikeouts. Senior Courtney Lanfranchi (Burlington, Mass.) appeared in both games, allowing no hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
 
Game one in Clearwater started off as a defensive battle, going hitless through two innings of play and scoreless through three. Senior Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) logged the River Hawks' first hit of the day in the home half of the third with a one-out, infield single, although the squad would leave the bases loaded during that at-bat.
 
Both sides plated a pair of runs in the fourth to keep the stalemate intact. Ashley Alden connected for a two-run home run in the top of the inning before Jamieson retaliated for UMass Lowell with a long ball over the center field fence, making the score 2-2.
 
However, Saint Joseph's pulled away, 5-2, in the fifth, scoring three runs on three hits and two miscues. In their next trip to the dish, the River Hawks were able to chip away at the difference when Zinkiewicz got things started with a base hit to center. Davies and Cooper followed with a singles, and after a play at the plate, Davies scored unearned on an error, cutting the deficit to two at 5-3.
 
UMass Lowell would not come any closer, though, as the teams combined for five runners left on in the final two innings, sealing the decision for Saint Joseph's.
 
After a slow start in game two, Colgate pulled ahead, 4-0, in the top of the third with a two-RBI single and a two-RBI double. UMass Lowell got one back in its next at-bat, as Greene reached on an error, advanced to second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a RBI groundout by Martin.
 
Colgate added to its buffer by one in the fourth, but UMass Lowell would not go quietly, as the squad rallied back with four runs in the bottom of the six, knotting the score at 5-5. Senior Melissa King (Stamford, Conn.) and Cooper walked before Darcy was hit by a pitch to bring up Jamieson, who sent a RBI liner to center field. Later in the inning, Greene registered a RBI groundout and Martin added a two-run double.
 
Each side posted one more run in the seventh to force extra innings, but Colgate made the most of its at-bat in the eighth, rattling off five runs. In the River Hawks' final chance, Jamieson was placed on second before eventually scoring unearned, but the visitors held on to seal the 11-7 outcome.
 
The River Hawks will play two more games tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, against Army and Lehigh beginning at 4:15 p.m.