Box Score (PDF)

STORRS, Conn. – In a marathon game that spanned three hours, sophomore Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) drove in what would be the game winner in the ninth inning to help lift the UMass Lowell softball team (11-12) to an 8-7, comeback victory at Connecticut (9-17) on Wednesday afternoon.
 
"Overall, I felt confident in how we were playing and how we were at the plate," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "The lead kept going back-and-forth, and you don't want to see that, but when (UConn) took the lead, I like how we were towards the end. I don't think we got rattled. This was a great team win and great team effort."
 
Trailing by three heading into the top of the seventh, the River Hawks climbed back into the game with a RBI walk from sophomore Sara Siteman (Hudson, N.H.) and a base hit from junior Christina Rizzi (Manorville, N.Y.) that scored redshirt-junior Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.). Sophomore Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) then sent a sacrifice fly to right, allowing junior Melany Sheldon (Garbagnate, Milan, Italy) to beat the throw at the plate and knot the score at 7-7. In the bottom of the inning, sophomore pitcher Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) caught the final batter looking to force extras.
 
UConn threatened in the eighth, but it was Moccio who stepped up in the ninth with the bases full and tagged a single to left to bring in Rizzi. Capria would retire the Huskies in order in their final at-bat to secure the decision.
 
Rizzi led the River Hawk offense in the outing, batting 4-for-5 with two RBI. Junior Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.), who also chipped in with two RBI, set a new program record with five walks. Harding, Labbe and Sheldon all added two hits on the day, as well. Capria and fellow pitcher Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) combined for nine strikeouts in the circle.
 
The River Hawk offense came to life in the top of the second, loading the bases for Rizzi, who lined a hard-hit ball through the left side to plate senior Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) and give her squad a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Huskies evened the board in their next at-bat thanks to a sacrifice fly, although UMass Lowell would break the stalemate in the third on a RBI by Sheldon. The home squad knotted the score once again in the bottom of the inning before Cashman went the opposite way for a two-run home run, giving the River Hawks a 4-2 edge in the top of the fourth.
 
Talcik held the Huskies hitless in the home half of the inning, but the home squad came charging back in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits, including a three-run home run, to pull in front, 7-4.
 
The River Hawks will play their home and conference openers this weekend, when they host America East foe Maine for a three-game series at River View Field on March 30-31.