Box Score (PDF): Game 1 | Game 2

LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) roped a two-run, walk-off home run in the eighth inning of game two to help the UMass Lowell softball team (13-12, 2-0 AE) sweep a doubleheader against Maine (7-17, 0-2 AE) on Saturday afternoon.
 
The River Hawks started the day with a 5-2 victory in their home and league opener before the 7-5, extra-innings thriller in game two.

"I thought we battled," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "In the first game, I felt like we couldn't score a run without it being a home run and then we were able to start making things happen. In the second game, we had a lot going on at the plate and I thought both of our pitchers limited their hitters. We were poised at the plate and able to hold our own on the defensive side, as well."   
 
Moccio finished the day with four hits (.571), two of which were home runs, and a team-best four RBI. Junior Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.), who batted .800 with three walks, and senior Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) wrapped up the trio of River Hawks with four hits on the day. Junior pitcher Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) recorded both wins in the circle, allowing just two runs with 12 strikeouts in nine innings of work. Senior Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) started game two with four strikeouts in six innings, as well.
 
Maine threatened early in game one, leaving three stranded through its first two at-bats, but it was UMass Lowell who got on the board first thanks to a two-out solo shot by sophomore Sarah Ratcliffe (Pelham, N.H.) in the bottom of the second. Capria would retire the next six straight Black Bears she faced, allowing the River Hawks to extend their lead to 2-0 thanks to another long ball, this time off the bat of Moccio.
 
The visitors were able to cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth with a homer from Amanda Nee, although sophomore Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) continued the string of dingers to get the run back in the home half of the inning. In that same at-bat, Siteman added a two-run, two-bagger to give the River Hawks a 5-1 advantage. The Black Bears doubled in another run in the sixth to pull within three, but the UMass Lowell defense held on to secure the 5-2 decision.
 
In the latter half of the twin bill, the River Hawks were quick to jump in front with the help of a RBI walk from redshirt-junior Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) in the bottom of the first. Maine loaded the bases in the second, but Labbe showed her athleticism in right field, doing a barrel roll to come up with the catch that ended the inning and kept the visitors off the scoreboard.
 
The home team pushed its buffer to 2-0 in the third when Cashman scored on a ball put into play by Harding. However, Maine evened the board in the fourth and then took its first lead in their next trip to the dish on a sacrifice fly to deep center.
 
Moccio singled through the right side to knot the score at 3-3 in the home half of the fifth before a solo homer by Sheldon and a RBI by Cashman gave the River Hawks a two-run margin after six complete. The Black Bears were able to erase the difference in the seventh and force extras, but Capria came out of the bullpen and sat down six straight batters, putting Moccio in positon to end the game in walk-off fashion with Barker on base in the eighth.
 
Maine still owns an 11-7 edge in the all-time series against UMass Lowell. The two squads will wrap up the three game series tomorrow, Sunday, March 31, at an adjusted start time of 10 a.m. due to the forecast.