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

VESTAL, N.Y. – Senior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) ripped a solo home run in the top of the ninth to lead the UMass Lowell softball team (14-17, 6-3) to a game one win at Binghamton (13-18, 5-1) before the Bearcats fought back to take a 4-2 decision in game two of the doubleheader on Saturday.
 
"Both teams battled extremely hard in both games," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "I was really happy we were able to fight to earn the extra-innings win in game one, but we just needed a couple more clutch hits in the second game."
 
Welch and redshirt-freshman Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) each batted .571 (4-7) on the day to help lead the River Hawks. Freshman Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) also recorded four hits (.500) with two RBI, while senior Emily O'Brien (Salem, N.H.) notched a team-best four RBI. Sophomore Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) pitched all nine innings in game one, totaling a career-high 10 strikeouts in the win.
 
The River Hawks jumped out to a 1-0 edge in the top of the first in game one, as senior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) led off the game with a long ball over the fence in straight away center. Talcik made quick work of the Bearcats from the circle, fanning five batters and allowing just one baserunner through the first three innings.
 
UMass Lowell made the score 2-0 on a hard-hit single up the middle by O'Brien in the third before Binghamton got on the board in the fourth thanks to a solo homer by Jessica Rutherford.
 
The Bearcats took advantage of a fielding miscue in the bottom of the fifth, scoring both the tying and go-ahead runs on a sacrifice bunt attempt. However, the River Hawks answered in the top of the sixth, using hits from Welch and junior Kate Mims (West Chester, Pa.) to help load the bases for Harding, whose sacrifice fly to deep left knotted the score at 3-3.
 
Freshman Marianne Sparacia (Spring Hill, Fla.) and O'Brien started the seventh with back-to-back hit before Cashman stepped in and tagged an RBI single to regain the upper hand for the visitors. The Bearcats then erased the difference once again in the home half of the inning and forced extras. Both sides traded two runs apiece in the eighth, but the difference maker came in the top of the ninth, as Welch laced what would be the game-winning home run to center. Binghamton threatened by loading the bases in their final at-bat, although Talcik forced an infield popup to seal the 7-6 victory.
 
The River Hawks were quick to attack in game two, as well, when a two-bagger to right center by Cashman scored T. Alcorn in the top of the first. After each team went three up and three down in the second, Binghamton would log a long ball in each of their next two chances at the dish to pull in front, 2-1.
 
O'Brien evened the board at 2-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly, but the stalemate was short-lived, as the Bearcats answered with their third home run of the contest and a RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The River Hawks would then leave a combined five runners on base in the last two innings to allow Binghamton to take the 4-2 outcome.
 
The River Hawks and Bearcats will square off one more time in the series finale tomorrow at 10 a.m.