Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Freshman Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) went 3-for-4 (.750) with two runs scored, as the UMass Lowell softball team (7-12) closed out its longest road trip of the year with a 5-4 loss against St. Bonaventure (7-15) at the UNCW Invitational.
 
"I knew St. Bonaventure was going to show up ready to play," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "No one likes to get run-ruled, so I knew they would come out fighting. We gave away some of our at-bats early on and needed to make adjustments a little sooner so we could have made better contact."
 
Redshirt-freshman Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) added to the offensive effort with two hits (.667) and one RBI, while sophomore Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) registered the team's eighth home run of the weekend for two RBI in the contest. Senior pitcher Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.), who came out of the bullpen in the second inning, totaled five strikeouts en route to the decision.
 
St. Bonaventure logged a leadoff home run off the bat of Desiree Gonzalez to take a 1-0 edge in the top of the first. The River Hawks then stranded two in the bottom of the inning before the Bonnies stretched the margin to 2-0 on a RBI double to center in the second.
 
Harding extended the home half of the second with a two-out triple to center, although her squad was unable to capitalize. Both sides went three-up and three-down in the third, but the River Hawks chipped away at the difference in the fourth when hits from Cashman and junior Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) brought up Harding, who drove in the team's first run with a liner to center.
 
SBU maintained the one-run advantage until the bottom of the sixth, as Cashman led off with a base hit to right and Barker followed with two-run homer to put UMass Lowell on top, 3-2. However, the Bonnies quickly retailed in the top of the seventh, pulling ahead 5-3 on four hits. The River Hawks got one back thanks to Welch in the home half of the inning, but it was not enough to overcome the 5-4 deficit.
 
The River Hawks will head home to play their first game of the season up north when they visit Connecticut for a 3 p.m. matchup on Wednesday, March 22.