LOWELL, Mass.  – Having completed play in the final invitational of the season, the UMass Lowell softball team (12-8) is slated for a pair of doubleheaders this week against Boston University and Sacred Heart.
 
The River Hawks head to Beantown to play the Terriers on Wednesday, March 23, and later make the trek to Connecticut for their matchup with the Pioneers on Saturday, March 26.
 
Last Time Out
UMass Lowell will look to bounce back after a 1-3 weekend at the Penn State Invitational. The River Hawks' lone victory came in a rematch against Rider, where they took down the Broncs, 4-2. Despite coming up short in both games against Cornell, 3-2 and 8-5, the squad demonstrated their tenacity by fighting until the very end. Senior Tori Mueller (Clovis, Calif.) led all hitters with a .417 (5-12) batting average over the weekend with two RBI. Junior Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) pitched for 7.1 innings and finished the invite with an ERA of 2.86 over the three days of action.
 
White Hot
Sophomore Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) extended her hit streak to seven games by putting a solo home run over the right field wall in the fifth inning en route to the River Hawks' victory against Rider. The shortstop hit 4-for-13 in Happy Valley to drive in two RBI and came home to score twice.
 
Vaillancourt Leading the Pack
Sophomore Becca Vaillancourt (Tiverton, R.I.) continues to succeed and show consistency in the batter's box this season. The catcher and designated player sits atop the team rankings in batting average, hitting .361 this spring. She's also demonstrated patience at the plate by drawing seven walks to put her on-base percentage at .460, which ranks her fifth in the America East in the category.
 
Defensive Dominance
The River Hawks have shined when the ball is put in play by the opposition. UMass Lowell leads the America East with a .966 fielding percentage, having only committed 16 errors on 470 chances. The defense has converted 337 putouts and 117 assists through 20 games.
 
Slugging Successes
UMass Lowell has been among the most successful at hitting for power in the 2022 campaign. Behind 14 home runs and 24 doubles, the River Hawks slingshot themselves into second place in the America East in slugging percentage with a .409.
 
Scouting the Terriers
Boston University currently holds a record of 12-13. While it might seem like an average performance, the Terriers have had a challenging schedule to open the spring. Despite falling two times each to Notre Dame and #9 Clemson, Boston's season highlight came on February 18, when they took down #13 Georgia, 6-1. The Terriers are coming off of a 2-3 showing at the Louisville Slugger Tournament in Long Beach, California. The invitational caps off a 7-5 road trip along the west coast.
 
Sophomore Kayla Roncin has been a frequent face on the base paths for the Terriers, holding a .422 batting average and a team leading three triples. Holding an on-base percentage of .431 is sophomore Lauren Keleher who has drawn 16 walks in 54 at-bats.
 
Boston has one of the more effective pitching cores in the Patriot League, boasting a 3.41 ERA and 115 strikeouts, and allowing just a .278 batting average to opponents. Junior Allison Boaz has been most successful for the Terriers in the circle. Her 7-4 record has been achieved with a 2.20 ERA in her 73 innings pitched.
 
Scouting the Pioneers
Sacred Heart opened NEC play over the weekend against Bryant, resulting in two losses for the squad. After taking the opening game of the weekend, the Pioneers fell, 2-0 and 12-2, to the Bulldogs. Overall, Sacred Heart stands at 4-15 with other wins coming against Virginia, Charleston Southern and UC Riverside.
 
As a team, Sacred Heart sits among the middle of the pack when compared to other NEC opponents. Overall team statistics include a .221 batting average and a 6.85 ERA from the circle, ranking them sixth and eighth respectively.
 
The Pioneers are careful on the base paths, only attempting three steals this season. Grace Saad, a sophomore, leads the way with a .339 on-base percentage. Saad is among five players on the roster with an OBP of over .300.
 
Sarah Lawton holds the lowest ERA on the squad at 5.40 and has recorded 59 of the team's total of 83 strikeouts.