LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Sarah Ratcliffe (Pelham, N.H.) registered a pair of hits and one RBI in an 8-5 loss for the UMass Lowell softball team (7-8, 3-1 AE) against Maine (3-7, 1-0 AE) on Friday.
 
"I thought that we should have had the energy we had at the plate in the last inning throughout the entire game," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "As I've said before, you have to show up every single inning because every team wants to make it into the championship and there are only four spots. It doesn't matter what the score is, we just have to show up every inning, and try and win every inning."
 
Ratcliffe also scored a run for the River Hawks in what was the first of a three-game series against the Black Bears. Three other River Hawks logged a hit in the contest, including graduate student Christina Rizzi (Manorville, N.Y.), who added two runs, as well. Senior Lovina Capria (Deltona, Fla.) and sophomore Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) split time in the circle, recording two and three strikeouts, respectively.
 
The River Hawks worked the count in their first trip to the dish, walking the bases loaded, but were unable to capitalize. However, the home team did get on the board in its next at-bat, as freshman Abby Packard (Horseheads, N.Y.) ripped a triple down the right field line before scoring on a sac fly by senior Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.).
 
The teams traded one hit apiece in the third, with the River Hawks getting a single through the left side from Ratcliffe, but both sides were retired in order in the fourth. Mariah Pearson would then erase the difference with a solo homer in the top of the fifth, knotting the score at 1-1.
 
UMass Lowell plated the go-ahead run in the home half of the inning, when Ratcliffe connected again, this time bringing in Rizzi on a shot up the middle. The Black Bears combined for seven runs in the final two innings, though, to pull away, 8-2.
 
The River Hawks worked to close the gap and rallied for three runs on a trio of RBI walks in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough, as Maine sealed the 8-5 outcome.
 
The squads will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, April 3, for a doubleheader to wrap up the conference series.