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LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) batted .571 (4-7) with two RBI to help lead the UMass Lowell softball team (20-19, 11-5 AE) to a doubleheader sweep against UMBC (19-26, 3-9) on Team IMPACT Day at River View Field Saturday.
 
The River Hawks picked up a 4-1 victory in game one before earning a 6-2 win in game two. With the decisions, UMass Lowell has secured its first 20-win season at the Division I level.
 
"I thought we did exactly what we needed to do," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "We're hoping to take all three this weekend because that's something we haven't done yet this season. We really want to send our seniors out on a high note."
 
T. Alcorn added a triple and a home run to her stat line for a 1.286 slugging percentage on the day. Senior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) also finished with four hits (.500) and two RBI. Junior Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) went 3-for-6, while freshman Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) logged a team-high four RBI. Sophomore Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) and senior Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) each took a complete-game win in the circle with five and seven strikeouts, respectively.
 
The River Hawks' offense went to work in their first trip to the plate in game one, jumping out to a 2-0 edge on RBI singles from Welch and sophomore Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.). Talcik dominated in the circle, holding the Retrievers hitless through the first four frames before Kaelin Jackson doubled to right center for the visitors' first hit of the day in the top of the fifth. Jackson would then score on Jaclyn Buckley's groundout to cut the difference in half at 2-1.
 
UMass Lowell answered in the home half of the inning when Cooper lined a ball to the fence in left to bring up Cashman, who sent a high fly ball out of the park and into the bullpen, extending the lead to 4-1.
 
The Retrievers threatened to get one back in the top of the sixth on a hit to center, but Cooper cut off T. Alcorn's throw near the rubber and fired onto Harding at third to catch the lead runner trying to dive back into the bag. Talcik was able to retire the UMBC side in order in the seventh to secure the 4-1 victory.
 
In game two, the Retrievers broke open the scoring in their first at-bat, using a homer from Carly Lesko to pull ahead, 2-0. However, the River Hawks were quick to answer, as Cashman stepped in with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first and laced the first pitch she saw to the fence in straight-away center, erasing the difference. Barker then followed with a sacrifice fly to put her squad on top, 3-2.
 
Ramirez, who allowed just one hit in the contest after the first inning, fanned the last two batters she faced in the top of the third, forcing the Retrievers to strand the tying run on third. UMass Lowell was able to plate a pair of insurance runs in the fourth thanks to a two-run homer from T. Alcorn and one more in the fifth on an infield RBI single from Welch to make the score 6-2. UMBC would go three-up and three-down in their final two chances, sealing the 6-2 outcome.
 
Prior to the twin bill, the River Hawks honored their Team IMPACT teammate, five-year-old Emma Crapo, who threw out the first pitch. Team IMPACT is a Boston-based nonprofit, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing chronic illnesses.
 
UMass Lowell and UMBC will face off once more tomorrow, Sunday, April 29, beginning at 12 p.m. It will be Senior Day for the River Hawks, as they will celebrate their five graduates in a pre-game ceremony.