Box Score (PDF): Game 1 | Game 2

LOWELL, Mass. – Junior Melany Sheldon (Garnagnate, Milan, Italy) ripped a walk-off shot down the third base line in the bottom of the seventh of game two to propel the UMass Lowell softball team (22-14, 10-0 AE) to a doubleheader sweep against UMBC (23-17, 4-6 AE) on Senior Day.
 
Both ends of the twin bill were decided by just one run, as the River Hawks held on for a 1-0 win in game one before the 6-5 thriller in game two. With these decisions, the River Hawks not only remain undefeated in America East play, but also set a new Division I program record for overall single-season wins with 22.
 
"I really don't even know what to say, my heart rate was up because that was quite nerve wracking," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "That's a good pitcher that we were facing for UMBC and the fact that they got ahead in game two and we were able to come back right at the end made it a great Senior Day. I think they did it all for their teammates and wanted to make sure we won."
 
Junior Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) led the way for UMass Lowell at the plate, batting .667 with three walks and four runs scored, while sophomore Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) recorded a team-high three RBI. Sophomore pitcher Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) earned her third shutout of the season in game one and senior Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) picked up the win in game two.
 
In game one, Capria retired the first six Retrievers' she faced before allowing the first hit of the game in the top of the third, although it would remain scoreless.
 
UMBC threatened in the top of the fourth, but redshirt-junior Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) made a great throw from center all the way into sophomore Sara Siteman (Hudson, N.H.), who applied the tag at the plate to keep the visitors off the board. Cashman would then change the game with one pitch in her squad's next at-bat, driving a solo shot over the fence in right to put the River Hawks on the board.
 
The UMass Lowell defense stranded another Retriever in scoring position in the fifth, and would not allow a baserunner in the visitors' final two chances thanks in large part to an acrobatic catch off the fence by Harding in the sixth, as the team sealed the 1-0 victory.  
 
The Retrievers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two with the help of five hits in the first inning. The home team quickly retaliated in the bottom of the inning, though, as Moccio jacked a three-run bomb to straight-away center to knot the score.
 
Talcik forced UMBC to go three-up and three-down in the next two innings, and even though UMBC put two in scoring position in the fourth, junior Marianne Sparacia (Spring Hill, Fla.) showed her range into the hole on the right side to extinguish the opportunity.
 
Harding snapped the stalemate in the bottom of the fifth with a double to deep left center that plated Cashman. However, UMBC responded with two runs in the team's next trip to the dish, pulling back in front, 5-4.
 
One again this year for the River Hawks, the seventh inning proved to be the difference maker. This time, the team walked the bases loaded with two outs to set up Sheldon's rope down the line that easily scored sophomore Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) and gave Cashman just enough time to beat the throw at home for the 6-5 win.   
 
The all-time series between the River Hawks and the Retrievers is now tied, 8-8. The series finale between the teams has been moved up to 9 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, April 20, due to the expected inclement weather.