CHARLESTON, S.C. –  Junior Trinadey Santiago (Cheshire, Conn.) collected a team-best three hits (.500), as the UMass Lowell softball team (1-5) dropped a pair of games against St. John's (1-5) and Charleston Southern (4-4) on Friday at the CSU Blue/Gold Classic.
  
The River Hawks first fell, 6-3, in game one against St. John's before dropping a 6-5 decision in a close battle with host Charleston Southern to wrap up day one of the weekend tournament.
 
Four other River Hawks joined Santiago with multiple hits on the day, including graduate student Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.), who finished with two hits and two RBI in game one. Freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) led the way with two runs scored, as well.
  
In the circle, sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) went the distance with two strikeouts, while graduate student Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) fanned six in her game two performance.
 
The River Hawks started game one with a leadoff double from senior Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.), who would score the first run of the day off an RBI single from senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.). 
 
St. John's broke the game open in the second inning, though, scoring four runs on an infield miscue followed by a London Jarrad three-run home run.
 
The River Hawks threatened with three runners left on through their next two at-bats, before Tulley would find a breakthrough in the fifth. After Quintanilla, senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) and senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) each got on, Tulley stepped up with the bases loaded and lined a ball to center field on a full count to score two runs and cut the difference to 4-3.
 
However, the Red Storm would extend the lead in the sixth, with Elanna Lysiak scoring on a fielder's choice and Cassidy Stouffer on an infield error. The home team would hold on the rest of the game, earning the 6-3 decision.

Game two was a defensive battle early on, as CSU accounted for the lone run through the first three innings. However, the River Hawks' offense went to work in the fourth, as junior Emily Tow (North Kingstown, R.I.) put a ball in play that allowed a pair of runs to cross the plate. Graduate student Brenna Davenport (Merrimack, N.H.) would cap the inning off with an RBI single to left field and give the River Hawks a 3-1 lead.

However, the Buccaneers responded quickly, grabbing five runs with the help of several hitters to make it 6-3 after four innings.

The River Hawks would continue to fight, cutting the deficit to one after a pinch-hit appearance from sophomore Katelyn Fitzgerald (Ambler, Pa.). With runners on base, she lined a double to right center to score Davenport and sophomore Shannon Howes (Palgrave, Ontario), making it 6-5 after six innings. However, they were unable to come any closer, as the Buccaneers would hold on and take a 6-5 decision. 

The squad returns for the second doubleheader of the CSU Blue/Gold Classic, facing off against St. John's and Charleston on February 17 at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.