QU Box Score (PDF) | Army Box Score (PDF)

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The UMass Lowell softball team (4-14) dropped a pair of decisions on Wednesday, falling, 2-1,  against Quinnipiac (6-9) before facing a 4-1 setback against Army West Point (11-10) at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater.
 
"Our energy was good and we played hard, but we just didn't get some timely hits to be able to score more runs today," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson.
 
Freshman Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) was the lone River Hawk to record multiple hits on the day, finishing 2-for-6 (.333) with one RBI in the pair of games. Junior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) registered the team's only other RBI, in addition to one hit, as well. Freshman Sydney Wash (Suffolk, Va.) took the loss in game one with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. Junior Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) threw the final two innings against Quinnipiac, while freshman Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) went the distance in game two against Army.
 
The River Hawks jumped on Quinnipiac early in game one, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when a pair of walks placed runners on the corners for Barker, who put her squad on the board with a RBI single.
 
Wash and the UMass Lowell defense held the Bobcats scoreless through their first three at-bats, allowing just two baserunners. At the plate for the visitors, Welch and freshman Ashley Smits (Worcester, Mass.) each legged out a base hit in the third and fourth innings, respectively, but both were stranded there to keep the margin at 1-0.
 
Quinnipiac pulled in front, 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to three hits and one UMass Lowell miscue. Ramirez came out of the bullpen for the River Hawks in the fifth and worked to quickly retire the QU side.
 
The visitors threatened to erase the difference and extend the game in the top of the seventh, as junior pinch hitter Alyssa Hasbrouck (Middletown, N.Y.) started things off with a two-bagger to the fence in center before her pinch runner, sophomore Colleen Frank (Berkeley Heights, N.J.), advanced to third on a groundout by classmate Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.). However, the squad was unable to scratch across the tying run, sealing the 2-1 decision in favor of Quinnipiac.
 
In game two against Army, the River Hawks took advantage of their first trip to the plate once again, jumping out to a 1-0 edge on a RBI from Welch. The Black Knights were quick to answer, though, knotting the score at 1-1 in the home half of the inning.
 
Barker led off the second for UMass Lowell with a line drive to left center and eventually advanced to third, but was stranded there. Army then took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the inning with three runs on four hits, including a two-RBI single to short right field by Mae Wadyka.
 
Neither side plated a run in the third, as Talcik got out of Army's at-bat unscathed with help from junior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.), who cut a runner down at the plate. Sophomore Samantha McQueen (Ewing, N.J.) drove a base hit up the middle for UMass Lowell in the fourth, but the team then went three-up and three-down in its next two chances. Junior Taylor August (Howell, N.J.) pinch hit with two outs in the seventh, sending a hard hit ball up the middle, although it was not enough to change the 4-1 outcome.
 
The River Hawks continue their spring break trip in Florida with five games at the USF Under Armour Tournament beginning on Friday, March 18.