Tuesday, March 17 at Florida International (DH, 5 p.m.)
Watch Live | Live Stats
Follow on Twitter: @RiverHawkNation @RiverHawkSB Tweet #UnitedInBlue

Saturday, March 21 at Stony Brook (DH, 1 p.m.)
Live Stats: Game 1, Game 2
Follow on Twitter: @RiverHawkNation @RiverHawkSB Tweet #UnitedInBlue

Sunday, March 22 at Stony Brook (DH, 12 p.m.)
Live Stats
Follow on Twitter: @RiverHawkNation @RiverHawkSB Tweet #UnitedInBlue

MIAMI, Fla. - The UMass Lowell softball team is slated to play five games this week beginning on Tuesday, March 16 when the team visits Florida International University for a doubleheader at 5 p.m. The River Hawks will then head back north for their first America East Conference three-game series of year at Stony Brook on Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22.
  
RIVER HAWK RECAP
UMass Lowell owns a 9-11 overall record so far in 2015. The team wrapped up tournament play with five games at the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament on March 13-15. At that event, the River Hawks went 1-4, defeating Army, 8-7, but falling to St. Joseph's (5-3), Colgate (11-7), Lehigh (6-5) and Northern Illinois (8-1).
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 20 games, senior Ariana Darcy (Kingston, N.Y.) paces the River Hawks with a .304 batting average (14-46) and 11 runs scored. Classmate Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) is hitting .300, while junior Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) has a team-high 17 hits (.293). Junior Emilia Davies (Parker, Colo.) is first on the squad with 11 RBI. Zinkiewicz and Davies, along with fellow junior Brianna Martin (Methuen, Mass.), are tied with four doubles apiece, in addition to Davies and freshman Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) with two home runs each. In the circle, junior Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) owns a 4-5 record with 40 strikeouts. Senior Courtney Lanfranchi (Burlington, Mass.). is 2-0 with a team-best 3.85 ERA.
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
The Panthers improved to 18-11 last week, taking the rubber match of their three-game series with Middle Tennessee on March 15. Stephanie Texeira leads the way batting .517 with 31 hits, including 17 for extra bases, and 33 RBI in 29 games. The sophomore has a team-high seven home runs, as well. Ashley Leon has stolen nine bases and is second on the squad with a .388 average. Gabby Spallone adds support with 30 RBI. Corinne Jenkins is the leader in the circle with an 11-5 record and a 2.85 ERA. She has pitched 11 complete games and struck out 58 batters.
 
HEAD COACH DANIELLE HENDERSON ON FIU
"We need to take what we learned from this weekend and apply it to the games at FIU. Having to play a doubleheader and play the same team more than once will help prepare us for our conference games."
 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
SBU and UMass Lowell will square off in a doubleheader on March 21, starting at 1 p.m., followed by a single game on March 22 at 12 p.m. The Seawolves, who are 7-8 so far in 2015, will play Seton Hall and LIU Brooklyn before entertaining the River Hawks. Bria Green is batting .429 with 21 hits and 16 RBI. Along with six home runs, she leads the team with four doubles. Kellie Reynolds and Alexandra Pisciotta have yet to be caught stealing, going 6-for-6 and 5-for-5, respectively. Allison Cukrov is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in the circle. Jane Sallen has a struck out 45 batters on the year, as well.  
 
HEAD COACH DANIELLE HENDERSON ON SBU
"Conference games are like a whole new season. Everyone starts off on equal footing. If we can take what we learned from our early season games and continue to fight as well as we have in every game, I think we will do well in league play.
 
SPEED DEMONS
Ally Greene (66) currently sits in third place on the school's all-time record list for stolen bases. She needs just 12 more this season to take over the top spot from Kristine Botto (77, 1998-2001). Classmate Ariana Darcy is right on Greene's heels with 64 career stolen bases, good for third all-time.
 
MORE RECORDS TO WATCH
Darcy is nearing the top of several other career record lists, as well. She is second overall in walks (69), third in slugging percentage (.563) and triples (16), fifth in on-base percentage (.401) and home runs (19), seventh with 115 runs scored, ninth with 273 total bases and 10th with 93 RBI.
 
HONORS AND AWARDS
UMass Lowell softball swept the first week of America East awards on February 10, as Alyssa Zinkiewicz was named Player of the Week, sophomore Erica Armenti (Shrewsbury, Mass.) earned Pitcher of the Week honors and Vanessa Cooper was tabbed Rookie of the Week. In week three, Ariana Darcy took Player of the Week accolades and Cooper earned her second Rookie of the Week nod. Zinkiewicz (Feb. 10) and Ally Greene (Feb. 24) have also been named River Hawk of the Week this season.