Tuesday, March 19
at Yale (DH, 2 p.m.)
Game 1: Live Stats | Watch Live
Game 2: Live Stats | Watch Live
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Finally back home in the Northeast following four early-season tournaments, the UMass Lowell softball team (8-12) will travel to Yale for a doubleheader this week on Tuesday, March 19 beginning at 2 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks wrapped up their California trip with a 2-4 record last week, defeating Northern Kentucky, 6-4, on March 12 and Iona, 12-4, in six innings on March 15. Junior Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) led the team with a .650 batting average (13-20) and a 1.200 slugging percentage, while sophomore pitcher Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) and freshman Kaylie See (Chino Hills, Calif.) each picked up a win in the circle.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 20 games, Courtney Cashman leads the River Hawks with a .533 batting average, 32 hits, 16 RBI, 15 runs scored, eight doubles and six home runs. Senior Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.), who is batting .350, adds 10 RBI, as well, and redshirt-junior Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) chips in with 11 runs scored. Lovina Capria paces the pitching staff with a 5-5 record, a 2.56 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
 
DID YOU KNOW
With just one strikeout so far this season, junior Marianne Sparacia (Spring Hill, Fla.) is the ninth toughest player to strikeout in the nation.
 
WALK IT OUT
Courtney Cashman's pitch selection at the plate has her ranked first in the conference with 11 walks so far this year.
 
NATIONAL NEWS
Courtney Cashman is also ranked among the national leaders in several other categories, including batting average (3rd), slugging percentage (4th) and on-base percentage (8th).
 
CLOSE CALLS
The River Hawks have been within striking distance in the majority of their games so far this season, as six of the team's 12 losses have been decided by two runs or less. Of those contests, two went to extra innings.
 
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
The River Hawks put on an offensive show against Iona on March 15 at the Spartan Invitational, setting season highs for runs (12), hits (14) and RBI (10) in that contest.
 
SENIOR SLUGGER
Sydney Barker started off strong at the plate, opening her senior season with three-run home runs on back-to-back days in Jacksonville. She first drove a three-run bomb that helped lift her squad to a victory against tournament host Jacksonville on Feb. 8 before sending another seventh-inning jack that erased an 8-5 deficit and forced extra innings against Georgia Tech on Feb. 9.
 
WEEKLY AWARDS
Courtney Cashman was named America East Player of the Week after slugging .933 with four RBI and two home runs at the Holy City Showdown on Feb. 22-24. Sydney Barker was tabbed the Player of the Week, while sophomore Lovina Capria garnered a Pitcher of the Week nod to open the season, as both helped the River Hawks earn a pair of victories at the River City Leadoff hosted by Jacksonville from Feb. 8-10.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE
As a team, UMass Lowell is currently fifth in the America East standings with Binghamton (6-7) leading the pack. The River Hawks lead the league with 72 runs, 128 hits, 20 doubles, 62 RBI and 47 walks. Individually, Courtney Cashman leads the league in hits, doubles, home runs and RBI.
 
NOTABLES
Courtney Cashman set a season high with four RBI against Iona (3.15) … Melany Sheldon logged a personal-best three hits against Iona (3.15) … Kaylie See registered her first career win against Northern Kentucky (3.12) … Kaysee Talcik recorded her first shutout of the season against UNLV (3.8) … Courtney Cashman matched a career high with four hits against Marshall (2.22) … freshman Tori Mueller logged her first career multi-hit game with three singles against Georgia Tech (2.9) … Lovina Capria logged a season-high seven strikeouts at Jacksonville (2.8).