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

LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored to lead the UMass Lowell softball team (12-23) to a 1-1 effort against the University of Rhode Island (2-30) on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The River Hawks took the first game, 9-0, in five innings before dropping a closely-contested, 3-2 decision in the nightcap.
 
"I thought we played great in game one," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "In game two, we had a lot of hard shots that went right to people and just didn't fall, but that's the way the game goes. It was a little bit tougher to score some runs this second game."
 
In addition to M. Alcorn, senior Abby Jamieson (Billerica, Mass.) went 2-for-4 on the day with two runs, while junior Emilia Davies (Parker, Colo.) and senior Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) added two RBI apiece. Junior Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) went the distance in game one, earning her first shutout of the season with two strikeouts. Sophomore Erica Armenti (Shrewsbury, Mass.) took the game two decision with one strikeout in seven innings of work.
 
In the first inning of game one, Handley retired the URI side in order and the River Hawks jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, as senior Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) doubled to left before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Davies.
 
After another quick at-bat for the Rams, sophomore Emily O'Brien (Salem, N.H.) lifted a sac fly of her own to plate Jamieson, who had led off with a two-bagger, and extend UMass Lowell's lead to 2-0.
 
The River Hawks added three runs in the third thanks to a pair of URI miscues, and RBI from Davies and Zinkiewicz. In the fourth inning, M. Alcorn took advantage of a pinch hitting situation, sending a RBI single to right to spark a four-run rally and put the home squad on top, 9-0. The Rams went three-up and three-down in their final chance at the dish, sealing the mercy-rule decision for UMass Lowell.
 
In game two, both sides went scoreless through two innings, although senior Melissa King (Stamford, Conn.) logged the River Hawks' first hit of the outing with a single up the middle in the bottom of the second.
 
Danielle Gariglio sent a hard hit ball through the right side to become the Rams' first base runner in the top of the third. UMass Lowell threatened to get on the board in the home half of the inning when junior Brianna Martin (Methuen, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but the team was unable to capitalize.
 
URI broke the game open in the top of the fourth with three runs on three hits, including a triple by Alexandra Summers. The River Hawks cut the difference back to just one in their next at-bat when Jamieson and M. Alcorn recorded back-to-back RBI doubles, making the score 3-2.
 
The Rams made noise in the sixth, loading the bases with two hits and a walk. A sacrifice fly by Lauren Klepchick threatened to plate an insurance run for the visitors, but it turned into a double play to end the inning after the lead runner did not tag up. UMass Lowell put the tying run on third in the bottom of the seventh in the form of sophomore Mikayla Powlowsky (Hudson, N.H.), however, she would not advance, securing the 3-2 outcome  
 
The River Hawks will return to action this weekend with a three-game America East Conference series at Hartford on Saturday-Sunday, April 18-19.