TOWSON, Md. – The UMass Lowell softball team (1-8) will return to the field for the first time in nearly two weeks, as the team opens its spring break travel at the Towson DeMarini Invitational in Towson, Maryland on Friday-Sunday, March 1-3. The River Hawks will play five games throughout the weekend, facing off against the host Tigers and Providence twice with one game scheduled against Howard, as well.
 
Friday, March 1
vs. Providence (10:00 am) – Live Stats
at Towson (3:00 pm) – Live Stats
 
Saturday, March 2
vs. Howard (12:30 pm) – Live Stats
at Towson (3:00 pm) – Live Stats
 
Sunday, March 3
vs. Providence (10:00 am) – Live Stats
 
Team History
Howard University – All-time record: N/A | Last meeting: N/A
Providence College – All-time record: 5-5 | Last meeting: Feb. 20, 2022 (PC, 5-2)
Towson University – All-time record: N/A | Last meeting: N/A
 
Last Time Out
UMass Lowell battled in five games at the CSU Blue/Gold Classic, dropping two games against Charleston Southern (6-5, 2-0) and three against St. John's (6-3, 5-1, 8-1). Senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) and sophomore Katelyn Fitzgerald (Ambler, Pa.) led the team at the plate during the weekend. White batted 5-for-14 (.357) with a double, one run and an RBI, while Fitzgerald went 3-for-8 (.375) over the weekend, collecting one run, one double and two RBI. In the circle, sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) appeared in three games with two starts. She threw 12.2 total innings with a 2.21 ERA, allowing three earned runs and collecting five strikeouts.
  
Patience at the Plate
The River Hawks remain disciplined at the plate, leading the conference in walks drawn with 31 total so far. Freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) leads the squad with six, while junior Trinadey Santiago (Cheshire, Conn.) and graduate student Brenna Davenport (Merrimack, N.H.) follow close behind with five and four walks, respectively. Graduate Student Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.), freshman Elizabeth Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) and senior Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.) have also displayed strong discipline, having earned three walks each. 
 
Too Fast to Catch
The River Hawks come into the weekend with a near-perfect stolen base percentage, going 10-for-11 so far. Ellie Frederick leads all players with four stolen bases, followed by Lea White with two. Four River Hawks have one stolen base apiece.
 
Scouting the Tigers
Towson finished last season with a 14-10 conference record, going 30-25 overall to earn fifth place in the Coastal Athletic Association. In 2024, the Tigers are 5-9 thus far, winning two of their last three games and coming off a 3-2 victory over Rider on February 25. Entering this season, Towson was projected to finish fifth in the 2024 CAA Softball Preseason Poll, receiving 82 points. The Tigers return much of last year's squad, including 2023 All-CAA First Team selection and 2024 CAA Preseason Watchlist honoree Mackenzie Lake, and 2023 CAA All-Rookie Team selection Addie Ferguson. Lake led her team and ranked in the top ten in the conference in batting average (.380), runs (44), hits (70), RBI (38) and home runs (6). Ferguson finished as one of the best freshmen on the team and in the conference, recording a .289 batting average with 22 hits, 17 RBI, seven runs and five doubles. Also returning to the 2024 squad are infielder Cara Bohner and pitcher Maddie Gardner. Bohner was a 2023 CAA All-Rookie Team selection, ranking top ten on the team in hits (22), runs (14), RBI (14), and home runs (2). Gardner finished the 2023 season ranking in the top ten in the conference, as well as leading the team in several pitching statistics, including ERA (3.47), wins (16), complete games (18) and strikeouts (128). 
 
Scouting the Friars
Providence concluded the 2023 season in last place in the Big East Conference with a 6- 18 conference record and an overall record of 15-32. So far, the Friars have started this season with a 3-6 record, winning two of their three games at the UNC-Wilmington Tournament this past weekend against America East rival UMBC. Before this season, the Friars were ranked ninth in the 2024 Big East Preseason Coaches' Poll with 14 points. Providence returns most of their squad from last year, headed by utility player Jacque Harrington. The senior finished the 2023 season as one of the top batters, leading the team in batting average (.359), hits (51), home runs (10) and runs (27). Her efforts earned her a 2023 All-Conference Second Team selection. Other players looking to make an impact this season are outfielder Gabriella Lee and pitcher Alyssa Twomey. Lee finished the 2023 season with the third-best batting average (.304), also ranking second on the team in runs (20) and fourth in hits (24). Twomey joins the team as one of three freshmen. She was a two-time Gatorade Rhode Island Player of the Year and will add needed depth to the Providence rotation.
 
Scouting the Bison 
After finishing the 2023 season with a conference record of 10-9 (20-26 overall) and fourth place in the MEAC Conference, Howard is off to a strong start. The Bison are 12-3 so far in 2024 and are currently riding a 10-game winning streak. In that span, they have not allowed more than four runs in a game and have won three games as a result of the eight-run rule. Entering the 2024 season, they were projected to finish third in the 2024 MEAC Softball Preseason Poll with 90 points and one first-place vote. The Bison return a lot of talent for 2024, including three Preseason All-Conference MEAC First Team selections in Alyssa Vasquez and Lealani Ricks. Vasquez led the team in hits (53) and doubles (13), while also ranking in the top three in batting average (.381), triples (2) and RBI (24), earning her 2023 All-MEAC First Team honors. Ricks was a reliable baserunner for the squad, leading the team in runs (34) and stolen bases (13). She added a .330 batting average with 35 hits and nine RBI, rounding out her season with a 2023 All-MEAC Third-Team selection. Also returning to the team are 2024 Preseason All-Conference MEAC Second Team selections Sidney Fletcher and Amelia Weber. Fletcher finished the 2023 season leading the team and conference in batting average (.406) and on-base percentage (1.064). She also recorded 43 hits and 25 RBI with nine doubles, three triples and two home runs. Weber batted .320 in 2023, recording 24 hits with 11 runs and 11 RBI, along with 2023 All-MEAC Third Team honors.