LOWELL, Mass. – Following a difficult game one setback to a visiting Maine squad (8-32, 4-9 America East), the UMass Lowell softball team (23-15, 7-4 America East) turned around to seal the series win with a strong offensive showing, closing out Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Black Bears took advantage when they had baserunners on and clinched the afternoon opener, 9-4. However, the hosts were able to flip the script and take the second end of the twin bill with a resounding 13-7 victory.
 
"I was a little disappointed in the way we started today, for sure, but we definitely came through and took care of business in the second game," said Head Coach Jen Starek. "Maine was hitting the ball well today and took advantage of some opportunities, but I think we stayed focused. Focus turns to UMBC now, which is a big series for us. We'll look to get out and compete the best we can and get as much information as possible going into the tournament so we can challenge any team we face."
 
Graduate student Maria Moccio (Feeding Hills, Mass.) continued to produce at the plate, turning in an impressive 6-for-8 performance that drove in two RBI. Junior Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) and sophomore Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) were key contributors in driving in runs. The duo each knocked in three RBI to help the River Hawks earn the win to close out the day. Tulley and sophomore Elizabeth Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.) also demonstrated some acrobatic playmaking abilities, making diving grabs and catches at the warning track throughout the afternoon.
 
When things kicked off on Wednesday, the River Hawks found themselves in a 3-0 hole after the Black Bears finished their first appearances at the plate. Sophomore Becca Vaillancourt (Tiverton, R.I.), cut into the Maine advantage by hitting a grounder to shortstop to buy time for senior Tori Mueller (Clovis, Calif.) to score from third.
 
The 3-1 score held until the fifth inning where Maine was able to pile on six runs to jump out to a 9-1 advantage.
 
Despite trailing, the River Hawks didn't go down lightly. The team knows what can happen when you can string runs together just as they did in their comeback versus UAlbany last weekend.
 
RBI singles by graduate Olivia Labbe (Rochester, Mass.), sophomore Lea White (Meriden, Conn.), and Moccio, chipped away at the Black Bear lead. The margin proved too large, however, and the hosts fell in game one, 9-4.
 
Somewhere in the dugout, a spark ignited the UMass Lowell offense in between games. A three-RBI single hit to right center field by Fisher brought the River Hawk lead to 4-0 in the opening inning. Fisher would later come around to score along with Moccio, junior Brenna Davenport (Merrimack, N.H.) and Muller, to push the advantage to 8-0. An RBI double to left center by Vaillancourt scored the ninth run at the end of the first inning, before rain entered the area causing a delay in the action.
 
Returning to the field after the pause, Maine rallied for five runs by the third inning, including a couple of homers to narrow the gap.
 
UMass Lowell took advantage with loaded bases, bringing in three runs to score in the bottom of the third to make it a 12-5 ball game. A sacrifice fly hit by Tulley scored a pair of runs following a defensive miscue by the opponents.
 
Maine tallied another couple of scores on an RBI single and home run in the fifth and sixth innings. Moccio shut the door on hopes of a Black Bear comeback by hitting an RBI double in the sixth frame that would seal the series win with a 13-7 victory for the River Hawks.
 
UMass Lowell takes the trip to Baltimore to play UMBC for a three-game series, with a doubleheader staring off at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.