LA Tech Box Score (PDF) | Saint Louis Box Score (PDF)

RUSTON, La. – The UMass Lowell softball team (2-7) finished Day Two of the Louisiana Tech Invitational, 1-1, on Saturday.
 
The River Hawks first faced a 6-0 setback against the tournament host LA Tech, but then came up with an exciting, extra-innings win against Saint Louis, 3-2.
 
Senior Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) and Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) both batted .429 (3-7) on the day to lead the offense. Freshman Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) earned her second consecutive win in game two with a season-high seven strikeouts.
 
"It was great to be able to come up with a win in a pressure situation like we did in the second game today," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson.
 
The River Hawks went three up and three down in their first two at-bats against LA Tech before threatening with base hits from Alcorn, sophomore Marianne Sparacia (Spring Hill, Fla.) and freshman Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) to load the bases in the third, although they were unable to capitalize. The Lady Techsters then got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single up the middle to pull in front, 1-0.
 
The home team extended its lead to 5-0 with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, two runs on three hits in the fifth. One more run in the sixth then gave the Lady Techsters their 6-0 margin of victory.
 
In game two, Saint Louis took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with threes miscues and a RBI single. Redshirt-sophomore Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) and freshman Sara Ratcliffe (Pelham, N.H.) each logged a base hit in the third and fourth innings, respectively, although neither would cross the plate.
 
UMass Lowell evened the scoreboard in the sixth inning, as Cashman got things started with a double to right field. Ratcliffe walked and Alcorn followed with an infield single to bring up freshman Meghan Chojnowski (Templeton, Mass.), who put a ball in play that allowed pinch runner Colleen Frank (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) to beat the throw at home and make the score 1-1.
 
The River Hawks held the Billikens in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, when RBI doubles from Alcorn and Chojnowski would prove to be the difference, putting the visitors ahead, 3-1, in the eighth. Looking to retaliate, Saint Louis was able to score the runner placed on second, but Capria took control in the circle to earn three consecutive outs and secure the 3-2 victory.
 
UMass Lowell wraps up its weekend in Louisiana with one more game tomorrow, Sunday, February 25, against South Dakota at 9 a.m.