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

LOWELL, Mass. – Junior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.), who hit .571 (4-7) on the day, represented the winning run in the ninth inning of game two, as the UMass Lowell softball team (9-36, 1-13 AE) split a pair of exciting, extra-inning outings against America East opponent Hartford (6-34, 2-8 AE) at River View Field on Team IMPACT Day.
 
Despite leading for the majority of first contest, the River Hawks fell, 8-4, in eight innings. However, the squad battled back late in game two to force extra innings once again before freshman Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) logged the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off, giving her team its first league victory of the year, as well as its first win at home in 2016. Prior to the doubleheader, the River Hawks celebrated their Team IMPACT match, 10-year-old Sicilia Campbell, who will be graduating from the program this year.
 
"Today was a hard-fought battle between both teams," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "These girls are fighters, and no matter what happened, we didn't give up today."
 
Barker totaled three hits and three RBI on the day, while senior Alyssa ZInkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) batted .375 (3-8) and sophomore Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) registered three RBI, as well. Sophomore Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.), who was the first runner to score on the winning play in the nightcap, crossed the plate four times in the twin bill. Junior pitcher Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) went the distance to secure the win in game two, tying a season high with seven strikeouts in the effort. Freshman Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) turned in a complete-game performance in game one.
 
Talcik and the River Hawk defense quickly retired the visitors in their first trip to the dish in game one. Junior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) walked to start off the bottom of the and Barker followed with an infield single, but the Hawks would get on the board first thanks to a RBI double to left by Sawyer Fried in the top of the second.
 
UMass Lowell answered in its next at-bat when Zinkiewicz got things started with a line drive base hit before Cooper sent one over the fence and off the scoreboard. M. Alcorn then scored on a wild pitch after reaching on a two-bagger to left center, putting her squad ahead, 3-1.
 
Hartford threatened to close the gap in the third by loading the bases, but Talcik forced a pair of big strikeouts to extinguish the opportunity. The River Hawks then put two on in the fourth, including Zinkiewicz, who earned her second hit of the contest. Neither side was able to make noise in the fifth or sixth innings, combining for three runners left on base. However, the Hawks rallied for three runs on four hits to take a 4-3 edge in the top of the seventh.
 
The River Hawks would not go quietly, though, as T. Alcorn drove a single to left and advanced to third on a shot up the middle by Welch before scoring on a two-out defensive miscue to knot the game at 4-4 and send the game to extra innings. Hartford plated the difference makers in the top of the eighth, scoring four runs on two hits and three errors to help steal the 8-4 comeback decision.
 
In the first inning of game two, the Hawks used a squeeze bunt to jump out to a 2-0 advantage. The home team retaliated with RBI from sophomore Samantha McQueen (Ewing, N.J.), Zinkiewicz and Cooper in the bottom of the inning, giving UMass Lowell a 3-2 lead after one complete.
 
Hartford stranded two in the second and one in the third, while six straight River Hawks were retired. The visitors tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth on an infield single by Jenice Aloyo. In the River Hawks' next chance, McQueen was hit by a pitch and rounded third on a two-bagger from Cooper, but she was thrown out at the plate, keeping the stalemate intact.
 
UMass Lowell pulled ahead, 4-3, in the fifth when Barker roped a RBI single off the opposing second baseman. Both sides went three-up and three-down in the sixth, but Hartford regained the upper hand in the top of the seventh on a two-run double from Lexi Wilkerson. M. Alcorn turned a double play to end the inning, though, snagging a deep fly in right and before throwing to third to catch the lead runner. The home team carried the momentum into their final at-bat, as the Alcorn sisters posted base hits to get on for Welch, who ripped a shot back up the middle to make it a 6-6 ball game.
 
After threatening in the eighth, Hartford pushed a run across in the ninth off the bat of Fried. The River Hawks closed it out in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases for Barker's walk-off.
 
UMass Lowell now leads the all-time series against Hartford, 6-2. The River Hawks and Hawks will wrap up their three-game series tomorrow, Sunday, April 24. First pitch for the Senior Day game is set for 12 p.m.