LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell softball team (22-14, 6-3 America East) will aim to hold its third place ranking in the conference standings as it prepares for series against Maine (6-32, 2-9 America East) and leaders UMBC (24-7, 8-3 America East).
 
Wednesday, April 27 – 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Vs. Maine – Watch | Live Stats
 
Saturday, April 30 – 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.
At UMBC – Watch | Live Stats
 
Sunday, May 1 – 12 p.m.
At UMBC - Watch | Live Stats
 
Last Time Out
The River Hawks mounted a pair of comeback victories over nonconference rival Massachusetts and America East foe UAlbany to finish the week with a record of 2-2.
 
UMass Lowell dueled with the Minutewomen in a tightly knit contest, but came out on top, 3-2, to help the River Hawks in their Kennedy Cup efforts.
 
Despite losing a 2-1 decision in the series opener to UAlbany, the squad erased a six-run deficit in game two to go on and win, 10-7. The Great Danes would clinch the series with a 4-1 Sunday victory, resulting in UMass Lowell's first series loss of conference play.
 
Stardom in the Circle
Junior Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) has continued to demonstrate her command from the pitching circle, striking out eight batters in her 11 innings pitched vs. UMass and UAlbany. She allowed just a .195 batting average to opposing hitters over the past week, and now boasts a 1.54 ERA. This ranks her 36th nationally among all NCAA pitchers.
 
Fisher Finding Her Groove
Four clutch hits by sophomore Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) helped UMass Lowell to wins this past week. The sophomore pinch hit and came through to drive in the game winning run vs. UMass last Wednesday. Against UAlbany, a two RBI double brought the River Hawks within one run of the Great Danes in the fifth inning in their effort to mount a comeback. After tying the game, Fisher returned to the plate and smacked a three-run homer over the wall to set up the River Hawks for the eventual 10-7 win. The five RBI performance is the first time this season a UMass Lowell player has exceeded four RBI in a game.
 
Graduate Greatness
Graduate student Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) has recently been hot with the bat in her hands. The first baseman holds an eight-game streak of reaching base and currently sits on her longest hit streak of the season at six straight games.
 
To-Tulley Spectacular
Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) tallied her seventh home run of the season in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Great Danes. She sits third in the conference in homers this spring and ranks fifth overall in RBI with 28.
 
Run It Up
Graduate Student Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.) has proved to be a threat on the basepaths and sets the team up for success whenever she has a chance to score. She is third among America East players in total runs scored this spring with 29.
 
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 .968 fielding percentage, having only committed 31 errors on 970 chances. The defense has converted 715 putouts and 224 assists through 36 games.
 
Scouting the Black Bears
A 7-2 victory was the result for the River Hawks when they took the trip to Orono, Maine, two weeks ago. While the intention was to play a doubleheader, rain that afternoon now sets up UMass Lowell to host a pair of games against the Black Bears to wrap up the series.
 
Since the two last met, Maine has taken one game in each of their recent series against UMBC and Binghamton. A heartbreaking Senior Day loss in extra innings to the Bearcats, 10-6, will lead the Black Bears to River View Field where they hope to right the ship.
 
Pitching has been where Maine has been hurt the most this season, ranking last in the conference with a team ERA of 5.51. Offensively, Maine can still do damage. Junior Jasmine Gray ranks top 20 in the America East with a .309 batting average. Nine doubles and a pair of home runs have helped her to tally 15 RBI in 2022 and earn her an on-base percentage of .330.
 
Freshman Gabby Papushka has the potential to play a key role in the Black Bears chase for success in the future. The utility player has been a threat in the batter's box by hitting for .260 average and holds a .759 OPS. Leading the squad with 23 RBI, more experience could mean she plays an even bigger role for Maine in years to come.
 
Scouting the Retrievers
The weekend trip to Baltimore will be the River Hawks biggest test of conference play. The back-to-back America East champions have their sights set on a three-peat, boasting a 24-7 record overall (8-3 in America East play). The Retrievers final home series of the year will give them extra motivation to win, but the chance to spoil Senior Day could be the spark the River Hawks need to come out on top.
 
UMBC has taken two games in each series thus far against conference opponents, demonstrating consistency both in the batter's box and pitcher's circle. The Retrievers rank second in team batting and pitching with a .300 average and 2.36 ERA. Alternatively, they sit second bottom in fielding percentage with a .944, as they've committed 47 errors on 846 chances compared to the River Hawks who've made 31 on 970.
 
Interestingly, the opponents lead the conference in home runs (30) but have the least number of doubles (37) this spring. The Retrievers rely on their ability to put the ball in play to advance base runners. They strike out less than any other team in the league, forcing the opponents to make plays to prevent runs. UMBC has won their America East contests by an average of three runs.
 
The squad lets the game come to them and allows their pitching to go out and hold the opposition at bay. Courtney Coppersmith ranks second nationally in ERA with just a 0.45, while not far behind her in eighth is freshman Kya Matter who throws for 0.95.
 
At the plate, three UMBC players rank inside the top ten in average. At the front of the pack is Sierra Pierce who's hit for an impressive .387 average in 2022, accompanying a .935 OPS.