Tuesday, March 31 vs. Bryant (DH, 2 p.m.)
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Friday, April 3 vs. UMBC (DH, 1 p.m.)
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Saturday, April 4 vs. UMBC (11 a.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell softball team is ready and eager to return to action with five games this week. The squad is scheduled to play its home opener, a doubleheader against Bryant University, on Tuesday, March 31 beginning at 2 p.m. The River Hawks will then welcome America East opponent UMBC to River View Field in Lowell for a three-game series on Friday-Saturday, April 3-4.
 
BATTLING MOTHER NATURE
Mother Nature has been the only winner in recent days, as all 10 of the River Hawks' games scheduled for the last 12 days have been cancelled due to inclement weather and/or unplayable field conditions.
 
RIVER HAWK RECAP
UMass Lowell owns a 9-13 overall record so far in 2015. The team's first two conference series of the season, slated to be played at Stony Brook and Binghamton, were postponed. The River Hawks most recently played on February 17, dropping a doubleheader at Florida International, 9-1 and 3-0, in Miami. Sophomore Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) went 2-for-5 (.400) at the plate in the pair of outings to pace the River Hawks.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 22 games, Alisha Welch is first on the team with a .298 batting average. Junior Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.), who is hitting .286, has a team-high 18 hits (.293), while classmate Emilia Davies (Parker, Colo.) totals 11 RBI. Zinkiewicz and Davies, along with fellow junior Brianna Martin (Methuen, Mass.), are tied with four doubles apiece. In addition, Davies and freshman Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) lead the squad with two home runs each. In the circle, junior Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) owns a 4-6 record with 43 strikeouts. Senior Courtney Lanfranchi (Burlington, Mass.) is 2-0 with a team-best 4.02 ERA.
 
SCOUTING BRYANT
The Bulldogs come in to Tuesday's matchup at 8-19, after dropping their last two contests. Bryant fell to Boston College, 7-6 in eight innings in its most recent outing. Liana Ogata paces the team, batting .316. She also has team highs for hits (24) and runs (20). Elle Madsen has hit seven home runs and has driven in 21 runs. In the circle, Madsen is 5-11 with a 3.41 ERA. She has struck out 44 batters in 94.1 innings.
 
SCOUTING UMBC
The Retrievers (12-11, 2-0 America East) will play Hartford and George Washington during the week before making the trek to Lowell. Freshman Tori Alexander leads the team with a .443 average, 27 hits and 19 runs. Kaelin Jackson has hit four home runs with 15 RBI, and Taylor Hall has two home runs and 17 RBI.
 
HEAD COACH DANIELLE HENDERSON ON THE WEEK
"I think we are even more excited than we were last week to play some games again, let alone home games. We are ready to go, all we need is for Mother Nature to cooperate."
 
THE LAST TIME
UMass Lowell played two games at Bryant last season. The River Hawks fell, 2-0, in game one before dropping a 7-3 decision in game two on April 1. In the three-game series between UMass Lowell and UMBC in 2014, the Retrievers earned the sweep with 10-2, 7-5 and 6-2 victories on April 18-19 in Baltimore, Md.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE
The River Hawks are currently ranked sixth in the America East. The team leads the league with 25 doubles and 75 walks so far. In addition, UMass Lowell is ranked third for runs scored (85), and fourth for hits (136) and RBI (73).
 
SPEED DEMONS
Ally Greene (68) currently sits in third place on the school's all-time record list for stolen bases. She needs just 10 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 65 career stolen bases, good for fourth 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 (71), third in triples (16), fifth in 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.