CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Junior
Sarah Ratcliffe (Pelham, N.H.) matched a career high with four RBI to help lift the UMass Lowell softball team (5-6) to an 8-4 win against IPFW in its first game of this weekend's Governors Classic.
The team squared off against IPFW to open the five-game tournament and was originally slated to close out the night against hosted Austin Peay, but that game has been postponed until Sunday, March 8 at 3:30 p.m.
"This was a good team win to start the tournament," said Head Coach
Danielle Henderson. "I thought we hit and pitched well, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do the rest of the weekend."
Ratcliffe went 3-for-4 at the plate in the victory. Senior
Christina Rizzi (Manorville, N.Y.) also logged a multi-hit game with two singles and a RBI, while junior
Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) walked three times. Freshman pitcher
Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) tied a season high with six strikeouts for her first career win in the circle.
The River Hawks faced a 3-0 deficit when they first stepped up to the plate as the home team in the neutral-site contest, but the team quickly cut into the margin with a lead-off homer by senior
Courtney Cashman (Danvers, Mass.) and a RBI single up the middle by Ratcliffe later in the inning.
UMass Lowell then used a big, four-run rally in the bottom of the second to completely erase the difference and pull in front by a three-run buffer of its own. In that at-bat, the River Hawks boasted four hits, including a shot through the left side by Ratcliffe that plated two runners to make the score 6-3.
White forced a 1-2-3 inning for the Mastodons in the third, and although the visitors closed the gap with a home run in the fourth, Ratcliffe came through once again when she sent a RBI single to center in the home half of the inning.
White and the rest of the River Hawk defense held IPFW the rest of the way, allowing just two baserunners in the final three innings, and with the game's final RBI from Rizzi, UMass Lowell secured the 8-4 victory.
The River Hawks are back in action tomorrow, Saturday, March 7, with games against IPFW (11:30 p.m.) and Austin Peay (2 p.m.).
