Box Score (PDF): Game 1 | Game 2

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The UMass Lowell softball team (4-5) split a pair of decisions for the second straight day at the Holy City Showdown in Charleston, S.C. The River Hawks first faced a 9-2 setback against UNC Wilmington before defeating tournament co-host Charleston Southern, 5-0.
 
"Today we had a good day at the plate," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "The first game didn't reflect that, but we had a lot of hits right at people plus the other team made good plays. The second game we were able to string some hits together throughout the entire game."
 
Redsirt-junior Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) went 3-for-5 (.600) at the plate to lead the River Hawks offensively. Junior Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) added two hits (.400), two RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) and senior Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) each batted .333 (2-6). Sophomore pitcher Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) totaled six strikeouts in her first shutout of the year.
 
In the first game of the day against UNCW, the Seahawks would earn the first three baserunners, but the River Hawks plated the first two runs of the contest in the bottom of the second. In that inning, sophomore Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) stepped up to bat with runners on and singled through the right side to score Harding before Barker scored on a wild pitch.
 
UNCW cut the difference in half in the top of the third on a RBI single and took its first lead in the following inning thanks to a RBI walk and a sacrifice fly that made the score 3-2.
 
The Seahawks then pulled away for good in the sixth, rallying for six runs on five hits, including a three-run homer, to seal the 9-2 victory.
 
Later in the day against Charleston Southern, the River Hawks jumped out to a quick, 2-0 lead thanks to a homer by Cashman in the squad's very first at-bat. The Bucs recorded their first hit of the afternoon in the second before the visitors extended their lead to 3-0 on a hard-hard single by Moccio.
 
CSU threatened in the home half of the inning, loading the bases with two outs, but Capria forced a groundout to keep the shutout intact. The teams combined for three runners left on base in the next two innings, allowing the River Hawks to take a 5-0 lead on three hits in the sixth, including a RBI single by sophomore Sarah Ratcliffe (Pelham, N.H.). Capria then held the home team to just one hit in each of its final two at-bats to secure the victory.
 
The River Hawks will wrap up their weekend at the Holy City Showdown against the College of Charleston on Sunday, February 24 at 11:15 a.m.