CONWAY, S.C. – Senior Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) logged two hits and two RBI, as the UMass Lowell softball team (0-2) dropped a pair of decisions to open the 2023 season at Coastal Carolina on Thursday afternoon.
 
The River Hawks fell, 6-2, in game one before dropping a 10-2 decision in game two in five innings.
 
"It was good to get out on the field and play," said Head Coach Jen Starek. "We were challenged by a good team, and saw some good things to build off of and some areas where we can get to work."
 
Both of Tulley's hits on the day were doubles. Graduate student Tori Mueller (Clovis, Calif.) and junior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) each added two hits, as well. L. White matched Tulley with a pair of RBI, in addition to registering a team-high two runs scored.
 
Senior Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) started game one in the circle, striking out five batters in 4.1 innings of work. Freshman Giana LaCedra (Lowell, Mass.) got the start in game two, facing nine batters in her collegiate debut.
 
Mueller led off game one with the River Hawks' first single of the new campaign through the left side, but Coastal was able to scratch an unearned run across in the bottom of the inning.
 
The home team rallied for three runs on three hits, including a two-run double to right center by Riley Zana, in the third to extend the difference to 4-0. However, the River Hawks answered right back in the fourth, as Tulley doubled to center to knock in L White before scoring herself on a shot up the middle by junior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) to cut the lead in half.
 
R. White retired the Chanticleers in order in the home half of the inning, but Iyanla De Jesus plated two more for the hosts in the fifth to extend the lead to 6-2. In the sixth, graduate student Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y.) led off with a base hit to right center before scoring on an L. White single down the rf line. Sophomore Jen Slanovec (Bethlehem, Pa.) held the opposition to just one hit in the sixth, but UMass Lowell was not able to overcome the 6-3 decision.
 
Starting off game two, Mueller and L. White each drew a walk in the top of the first, but the Chants jumped out to a 7-0 advantage in their first trip to the dish with the help of a three-run home run by De Jesus and a three-run triple by Diamond Williams.
 
Senior Darlene Gutierrez (Colton, Calif.) singled in the second and Mueller followed with a hit of her own in the third before Coastal added one more run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly.
 
Although the hosts would make it 9-0 in the fourth, the River Hawks continued to battle and were able to get on the board in the fifth. With two outs, freshman Jordan Chamberlain (Wolcott, Conn.) got aboard on a wild pitch. In to pinch run, freshman Shannon Howes (Palgrave, Ontario) then advanced to third on another wild pitch to get into scoring position for L. White, who sent a RBI single to right center to put UMass Lowell on the board. Tulley followed with a two-bagger down the left field line to make it 9-2 and extend the game. However, Delaney Keith lifted a sacrifice fly deep enough to allow Payton Ebersole to cross the plate and end game in five complete innings.
 
The remainder of the weekend's originally scheduled tournament has been cancelled due to inclement weather expected in the area. The River Hawks and Chanticleers will try to get in another doubleheader tomorrow morning beginning at 9:30 a.m.