Box Score (PDF)

LOWELL, Mass. – Four different team members logged multiple hits, including senior Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.), who recorded two RBI, to help lead the UMass Lowell softball team (17-22) to a 4-2 victory at Holy Cross (11-27) on Thursday.
 
"I was glad that we were able to show up for a non-conference game and get a win," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "I thought we did a pretty good job on defense and it was good for Katelyn to get out there and throw a full game. At the plate, we did a good job putting the ball in play even with the wind."
 
Sophomore Marianne Sparacia (Spring Hill, Fla.), redshirt-sophomore Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) and freshman Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) each totaled two hits in the decision. Moccio and junior Marisa Carrasco (Peoria, Ariz.) registered one RBI apiece on the day, as well. Freshman pitcher Katelyn Ellard (Cary, N.C.) totaled three strikeouts in the complete-game win.
 
Senior Madison Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) and Sparacia led off the game with back-to-back singles, although the team did not get on the board in its first at-bat. The Crusaders also threatened in their first trip to the plate, advancing a runner all the way to third, but a heads up double play by the River Hawks ended the inning and extinguished the opportunity.
 
The defense dominated in the next two innings, as Holy Cross was retired in order in the second and third, and UMass Lowell was forced to leave two runners on in the third. However, the visitors would break open the scoring with a two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Harding started the inning by dropping a bunt single, stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout. Carrasco then came through with a two-bagger to right center to plate Harding and Cooper followed with a RBI single up the middle to put her squad ahead, 2-0.
 
Sparacia represented the lone hit for either side in the fifth before the squad loaded the bases in the sixth. The River Hawks were able to add two important insurance runs in the top of the seventh thanks to RBI from Moccio and Cooper. Holy Cross made noise in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single, but UMass Lowell held on to secure the 4-2 outcome.
 
The River Hawks will return to action this weekend when they host Stony Brook in a three-game America East Conference series on Saturday-Sunday, April 28-29.
Box Score (PDF)