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

LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell softball team (10-20, 0-5) dropped a pair of decisions against America East Conference opponent Maine (14-15, 3-2) on Saturday afternoon at River View Field.
 
Maine's Alexis Bogdanovich allowed just one hit and one walk to lead the Black Bears to a 7-0 win in game one. The River Hawks battled to tie the score late in game two, though, and forced extra innings before eventually falling, 5-4, in the eighth.
 
"Our girls keep playing really hard on defense," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "They aren't afraid to get dirty, dive and make those plays. I think we just keep getting better every game and that's what our goal is. We still have a lot of games left, so as long as we keep improving that carries us through the season and leads into next year."
 
Senior Abby Jamieson (Billerica, Mass.) led the River Hawks' offensive effort, going 3-for-6 (.500) on the day with one run and one RBI. Sophomore Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) added two hits (.333), while senior Ariana Darcy (Kingston, N.Y.) scored two runs. Junior Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) and senior Courtney Lanfranchi (Burlington, Mass.) split time in the circle in game one, while sophomore Erica Armenti (Shrewsbury, Mass.) earned the complete-game decision in game two.
 
In the first inning of game one, Handley retired the Maine side in order with the help of two strikeouts. The Black Bears recorded the first hit of the day in the top of the second on a single to left by EmJ Fogel, but she would be stranded at third thanks to another strikeout by Handley to keep the game scoreless.
 
Welch charged a slow roller at shortstop and fired to first for the final out in the defensive half of the third to leave another Maine runner on and keep the pitchers' duel scoreless through three complete innings.
 
The Black Bears broke the game open in the fourth on a RBI double by Fogel. They then added an unearned run in their next at-bat before scoring three runs on four hits in the sixth to make the score, 5-0.
 
In the home half of the sixth, Welch broke up Bogdanovich's bid for a perfect game with an infield single, but the River Hawks were unable to capitalize. The visitors posted two final runs in the seventh and although sophomore Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) drew a walk, the Black Bears secured the 7-0 decision.
 
In game two, Maine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with a pair of RBI singles. Senior Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt in UMass Lowell's first trip to the dish, but she was left there.
 
The River Hawks made noise in the second, chipping away at the difference with one run scored. Darcy and Jamieson logged back-to-back hits before sophomore Mikayla Powlowsky (Hudson, N.H.) put a ball in play to score the lead runner and cut the deficit to just one.
 
The Black Bears got the run back in the top of the third, however, with a RBI double down the right field line. Later in the same inning, the squad pulled ahead, 4-1, on a two-bagger by Rachel Harvey.
 
After a quick at-bat for each side, UMass Lowell made the score 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth, when Jamieson sent a line drive deep into the corner in left field to score Darcy all the way from first.
 
The River Hawks' defense dazzled in the fifth with a diving grab by Jamieson at third and a full split by freshman Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) at first. The team carried the momentum into the bottom of the inning, as Greene reached on an error, but used heads-up base running to put herself in scoring position for a single up the middle by Cooper.
 
UMass Lowell then erased the difference entirely in the sixth. Jamieson, who had reached on an error, came all the way from second to score on a bunt single by Powlowsky.
 
Maine plated the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth with a hit and a River Hawk miscue, and despite a single by Jamieson in the bottom of the inning, the Black Bears held on for a 5-4 decision.
 
The River Hawks and the Black Bears will square off in the third and final game of the series tomorrow, Sunday, April 12, beginning at 12 p.m.