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LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) batted .571 (4-7) with four runs and three RBI to pace the UMass Lowell softball team (10-14) in a 1-1, doubleheader split against Rhode Island (6-19) on Wednesday.
 
The River Hawks put together a sixth-inning rally in game one to earn a 10-5 victory before taking a 6-5 loss in game two, which was called in the fifth inning due to darkness.
 
"I thought we had a lot of great at-bats today," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "We scored a lot of runs in the first game and it was unfortunate that it got too dark to finish the second game because I definitely think that we would have been able to battle those last couple innings."
 
Junior Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) and redshirt-freshman Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) each hit .500 on the day and combined for five RBI. Both of Harding's hits were home runs, while M. Alcorn posted her sixth double of the season. Sophomore Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.), who finished 3-for-7, led the team with four RBI. Senior Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) registered both decisions in the circle, moving to 3-6 on the year, and totaled nine strikeouts.
 
The Rams plated the first runs of the afternoon in game one, as the visitors took advantage of a defensive miscue in their first at-bat before making the score 2-0 in the top of the second on a two-bagger that dropped just in front of a diving Marianne Sparacia (Spring Hill, Fla.) in right.  
 
The River Hawks cut the difference in half in the bottom of the second when Cashman led off with a solo homer to left center. The squad kept the momentum in the third, rallying for four runs on four hits, including a two-run double from Cashman, to pull in front, 5-2.
 
The Rams would close the gap to one in the fifth on a two-bagger by Caileigh Holland. Rhode Island threatened to knot the score in the same inning, but Barker threw home on a fielder's choice and junior catcher Kate Mims (West Chester, Pa.) applied the tag to keep the River Hawks' 5-4 advantage intact.
 
The visitors erased the difference in the sixth thanks to a one-hopper to shallow right from Ali Summers. However, the River Hawks were quick to answer, as Harding started the home half of the inning by turning on the first pitch she saw and sending it over the fence in straight-away center to regain the upper hand for her team. Later in the inning, the team loaded the bases with two outs to bring up Barker, who roped a base-clearing triple before scoring on a RBI single by M. Alcorn, sealing what would be a 10-5 win for UMass Lowell.
 
In the nightcap, Rhode Island scored first once again, this time putting four runs on the board in the top of the second with the help of a three-run home run by Summers. The Rams then added one more in the third to extend their margin to 5-0.
 
It was déjà vu in the bottom of the third, as Harding went yard for the second time of the day to start another important five-run rally and tie the game at 5-5. During that at-bat, M. Alcorn and senior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) both chipped in with RBI.
 
Battling the darkness, neither side made any noise in the fourth, but Kylie Shivery lined the difference-maker out of the park in the top of the fifth.
 
UMass Lowell still owns a 5-3 edge in the all-time series against Rhode Island. The River Hawks will return to action this weekend when they host America East foe UAlbany in a three-game series on Saturday-Sunday, April 8-9.