Box Score (PDF)

LOWELL, Mass. – Despite holding a 2-1 advantage heading into the seventh inning, the UMass Lowell softball team (4-22, 0-3 AE) faced a 6-3 heartbreaker to wrap up their first America East Conference series of the year against Binghamton (12-9, 3-0 AE) at River View Field on Sunday.
 
The Bearcats rallied for five runs in their final at-bat to steal the comeback decision.
 
"It just came down to the very end," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "Binghamton was able to put a bunch of hits together to come back and get the win."
 
Junior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI to pace the River Hawks' offense. Junior Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) took the decision in the circle, allowing three runs in six innings of work. Freshman Sydney Wash (Suffolk, Va.) came out of the bullpen to finish the game.
 
The River Hawks escaped a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first with the help of a pair of catches by freshman Ashley Smits (Worcester, Mass.) in left to keep the Bearcats off the board. Junior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) was the first base runner of the day for UMass Lowell in the bottom of the inning, getting hit by a pitch before stealing second, but she was unable to advance any further.
 
Both sides were retired in order in the second, and the River Hawks extinguished Binghamton's chances in the third when freshman Marisa Carrasco (Peoria, Ariz.) caught a runner stealing and Smits made a sliding grab in foul territory. The home squad carried the momentum into its next at-bat, getting back-to-back hits from Smits and classmate Brianna West (Fairfield, Conn.), followed by a two-run double from Welch that gave UMass Lowell its first lead of the series.
 
The Bearcats responded in the top of the fourth with a RBI single to right by Griffin McIver. McIver was thrown out trying to take second on the same play to end the inning and maintain a 2-1 buffer for the River Hawks.
 
Ramirez forced the visitors to go three-up and three-down in both the fifth and sixth innings. However, Binghamton opened the top of the seventh with a pair of hits and used a wild pitch to plate the tying run. McIver then stepped in and drove a two-run homer over the fence in center to score the go-ahead runs. BU then added two more insurance runs in the inning to pull away, 6-2.
 
UMass Lowell continued to battle, though, and loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh when T. Alcorn was hit for the second time in the game, Welch singled and junior Taylor August (Howell, N.J.) walked. The River Hawks scratched across one run on a groundout, but Bearcats were able to turn a double play en route to securing the come-from-behind victory.  
 
Sunday's contest marked the 12th meeting between UMass Lowell and Binghamton in the sport of softball. The Bearcats now own an 8-4 advantage in the all-time series. The River Hawks return to action on Wednesday, March 30 when they visit Sacred Heart for a twin bill beginning at 3 p.m.