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DENTON, Texas – The UMass Lowell softball team split a pair of decisions on day one of the University of North Texas Invitational to open the 2017 season.
 
The River Hawks faced a 10-1 setback in five innings against Arkansas of the Southeastern Conference before earning an 8-6 victory in eight innings against tournament host North Texas.
 
"I think we started out the year great," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "We fought hard against North Texas and never gave up. We played well against Arkansas, but just had to get some nerves out in the first game of the season."

Seniors Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) and Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) paced the team's offense with three hits apiece and .429 averages on the day. Alcorn added a team-best three RBI, as well. Redshirt-freshman Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.), who batted .400 in the pair of games, and sophomore Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) each logged one home run. Senior pitcher Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) totaled six strikeouts to earn the win in game two.
 
Welch logged the River Hawks' first hit of the season in the top of the first of game one against Arkansas, but the Razorbacks would take an early, 2-0 lead in the bottom of the inning.
 
Arkansas made the score 6-0 in the second with a pair of two-run home runs from Madison Yannetti and Nicole Schroeder. In the third, freshman Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and Welch followed with a walk, but the River Hawks were unable to capitalize. However, the squad then turned its first double play of the year in the home half of the inning, Cashman to junior Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.), to hold their opponents scoreless.
 
The Razorbacks pushed their lead to 10-0 in the fourth with the help of a three-run shot by Schroeder. The River Hawks would get on the board in the top of the fifth when Cashman doubled to right center to score Alcorn, who had reached on an error. Welch added one more hit in the contest for her squad, but the Razorbacks would retire the next three hitters to seal the 10-1 outcome in five innings.
 
In the team's second game of the day against North Texas, Cashman got things started with a one-out liner to center, although she would not advance. Ramirez got the start in the circle and forced back-to-back strikeouts to end the bottom of the inning, giving her squad some momentum before Barker tagged a two-run home run to put UMass Lowell on top in the second.
 
Harding ripped her first career long ball in the third, a solo shot that made the score 3-0 in favor of the River Hawks. Neither side was able to scratch a run across in the fifth, but UMass Lowell added one in each of the sixth and seventh innings. However, UNT rallied for five runs in the home half to force extra innings.
 
In the top of the eighth, sophomore Brianna West (Fairfield, Conn.) was placed on second and advanced to third on a fielder's choice before crossing the plate on the next play. Alcorn then roped a two-run single up the middle to give her squad some breathing room, as the team held on for the 8-6 win.  
 
The River Hawks will play two more games tomorrow, once again facing Arkansas (10 a.m.) and North Texas (12 p.m.) to wrap up their first tournament of the year.