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

CATONSVILLE, Md. – Freshman Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) went 4-for-7 (.571) at the plate with two RBI to help the UMass Lowell softball team (11-39, 3-14 AE) split a doubleheader at America East opponent UMBC (23-27, 4-9 AE) on Saturday.
 
The River Hawks dropped a hard-fought, 2-1 decision in game one before defeating the Retrievers, 4-2, in game two for their first victory ever against UMBC.
 
"We played well today," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "We are treating this like a championship series since it's our last one and I thought we played well enough to win the first one, but UMBC had some timely hits. We came out on fire and scored a lot of runs early in the second game, and then stayed strong on defense."
 
Junior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) chipped in with three hits on the day (.429) to add to the offense. Classmate Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) notched one hit in each game, as well. Freshman Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) went the distance in the circle in game one with two strikeouts. Freshman Sydney Wash (Suffolk, Va.) allowed just two hits with five strikeouts to earn the win in game two, while junior Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) threw the last 1.2 innings to pick up her first save of the year.
 
Although Welch logged the first hit of the day, the Retrievers held an early, 1-0 lead after one complete inning in game one thanks to a two-out RBI double from Kaelin Jackson. Both sides went three-up and three-down in the second, and despite the home squad putting a pair of runners in scoring position in the third, Talcik forced a big strikeout to end the at-bat and keep the difference at just one.
 
UMass Lowell carried the momentum into the fourth, as Barker got things started with a base hit and advanced to third on sophomore Vanessa Cooper's (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) two-bagger before scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior Alyssa Hasbrouck (Middletown, N.Y.) to deep left, knotting the score at 1-1.
 
UMBC regained the upper hand in the fifth with a RBI single by Morgan Peyou. Sophomore Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) followed with a single through the left side to lead off the sixth, but the River Hawks were unable to get on the board in their final two chances at the dish, as the Retrievers held on to seal the 2-1 outcome.
 
In game two, UMass Lowell was quick to pull in front when T. Alcorn stepped in as the first batter of the contest and drove a solo home run over the fence in left, giving her squad a 1-0 edge.
 
The first three Retrievers up to bat were retired, including two by way of the strikeout from Wash, allowing the River Hawks to extend their buffer to 4-0 in the second. Freshman Marisa Carrasco (Peoria, Ariz.), who drew a one-out walk to spark the three-run rally, scored on a well-placed bunt by T. Alcorn before Barker roped a two-run double to straight-away center.
 
Wash remained perfect through three and a third innings until Peyou singled through the right side with one out in the bottom of the fourth. The home team put two more runners on in the fifth and then cut the difference in half, down to 4-2, in the sixth on a shot by Carly Lesko.
 
T. Alcorn and Barker each tallied a hit in the top of the seventh, although T. Alcorn was tagged out at the plate trying to add an insurance run. The Retrievers threatened in the home half of the seventh, putting the tying run on base, but the River Hawks were able to secure the 4-2 win.  
 
The Retrievers still lead the all-time series, 7-1. UMass Lowell wraps up its 2016 season with one final game at UMBC tomorrow, Sunday, May 1, at 12 p.m.