Box Score (PDF): Game 1 | Game 2

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – After facing a 7-0 setback in game one of a doubleheader, the UMass Lowell softball team (25-15, 13-1 AE) bounced back with a 4-0 victory in game two at Stony Brook (24-16, 8-6 AE) thanks to a perfect game from senior pitcher Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.).
 
With the win, the River Hawks set a new Division I program record for single-season America East victories.
 
"It's not about one game, it's about whether you can bounce back from that game," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "It's been a while since we've faced a deficit in conference play, so I think it's good that it happened because then it showed how we are going to react to it. I was very proud of Kaysee today. This is the Kaysee Talcik that I know and I'm glad that she was able to feel that confidence today."
 
Talcik, who struck out five Seawolves in game two, recorded the second no-hitter of her career, in addition to the program's first ever perfect game. At the plate, junior Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) paced the squad with three hits (.429), including her 10th home run of the year. Classmate Melany Sheldon (Garbagnate, Milan, Italy) and sophomore Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) each added two hits, while senior Brianna West (Fairfield, Conn.) logged her second long ball in as many game days.
 
The Seawolves opened the game one scoring in their first at-bat, using a one-run double by Irene Rivera and a RBI walk by Jordan Nowakowski to create an early lead. Redshirt-junior Casey Harding (Cheshire, Conn.) made one of her signature diving catches in center to help keep the home team off the board in the second, but a hard hit ball to left in the next inning would give SBU a 3-0 lead through three complete.
 
Labbe found a hole on the left side for the River Hawks' first hit of the contest in the top of the fourth, and although sophomore Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) would follow with a hit of her own and Labbe would advance all the way to third, the visitors were unable to scratch the run across.
 
SBU added one more in the fifth thanks to a two-bagger from Nowakowski before stretching its lead it 7-0 in the sixth en route to the decision that snapped the River Hawks' 12-game conference win streak.
 
In game two, the River Hawks made noise early, putting four runners on base through the first three innings, although the game remained even at 0-0.
 
Talcik dominated from the start in the circle, not allowing a baserunner, which gave her team the opportunity to pull in front, 2-0, in the fourth thanks to a clutch, two-out double by junior Christina Rizzi (Manorville, N.Y.) off the fence in left center.
 
After no change to the scoreboard in the fifth, West and Cashman each went yard in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, to make it 4-0. SBU threatened to break up the perfect game in the bottom of the seventh, but a great play from Cashman to Moccio helped secure the outcome.     
 
UMass Lowell now leads the all-time series against Stony Brook, 14-11. This weekend's rubber match between the two squads has been pushed up an hour to 11 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, April 28, due to more rain expected in the area.