Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Undeterred by freezing temperatures and rain delays, the UMass Lowell softball team (5-8) came out on top in a defensive stalemate in its final game at the Holy City Showdown, upsetting host College of Charleston (11-10), 4-3, on Sunday.
 
"This win showed how far our team has come in just one year," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "This was way different than our game here against Charleston last year. We set the tone in the first inning and scored three runs, and then we just played solid defense and were solid in the circle, as well."
 
After five scoreless innings for either side, senior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) drove in what would be the winning run in the top of the eighth on a shot to right field. The Cougars made noise in the home half of the inning, putting runners on first and third with two outs, but sophomore pitcher Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) and the River Hawk defense forced a groundout to extinguish the opportunity and secure the victory.
 
Sophomore Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) totaled three RBI on the day, while freshman Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) registered two hits to pace the squad. Talcik went the distance in the circle for her third win of the year.
 
The River Hawks went to work right away, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Senior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) opened the game with a high fly that found a hole in shallow left before redshirt-freshman Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) and Cashman followed with back-to-back walks to bring up Barker, who lined a base-clearing double to right center.
 
The Cougars were able to chip away at the difference with two runs in their first trip to the plate, including a RBI double by Sara Garcia. In the second, the home squad knotted the score at 3-3 on a base hit by Madi Brown and threatened to pull in front, but the River Hawks forced their opponents to leave the bases loaded.
 
Pinch runner Colleen Frank (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) advanced all the way to third for UMass Lowell in the fourth, but the squad was unable to capitalize.
 
The defensive battle continued through the remainder of regulation, with the teams combining for three runners left on in their next two at-bats before both sides went three-up and three-down in the seventh to send the game to extra innings.  
 
The River Hawks will continue their spring break trip with a mid-week tilt at Coastal Carolina on Wednesday, March 15 at 3 p.m.