TOWSON, Md. – Senior Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.) went 4-for-8 (.500) with two RBI and one run, as the UMass Lowell softball team (2-9) split a pair of games at the Towson DeMarini Invitational hosted by Towson on Friday afternoon.
The River Hawks battled in game one, coming up just short, 4-3, against Providence before defeating Towson, 10-0, in six innings.
"The team played very well today," said head coach Jen Starek. "It was an excellent example of a whole team effort."
Sophomore Katelyn Fitzgerald (Ambler, Pa.) helped lead the offensive effort, going 3-for-6 with a double and four RBI, while senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) recorded three hits, four runs scored and two RBI. Senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) contributed to the River Hawk offense, as well, going 3-for-7 with two runs and two RBI.
Sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) took the decision for game one, going 5.1 innings pitched with four earned runs and a strikeout. Senior Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) earned the win in game two, pitching a complete game with nine strikeouts and allowing only four hits.
Game one was a close battle from the first pitch, with the River Hawks capitalizing at the plate in the first inning. L. White and freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) reached base through a fielding error and a bunt. Both would advance to second and third before a wild pitch would score L. White to give the squad an early lead. An RBI single to center field from Frederick would score Quintanilla and extend the lead to 2-0 after the first.
Alyssa Twomey would go the distance in the circle for Providence, allowing only three hits for the remainder of the game, giving the Friars the opportunity to respond in the second when Rachel Petrarca lined an RBI single to right field to cut the difference in half. The team then scored the game-tying run in the fourth on an infield groundout, making it 2-2.
The River Hawks used a triple from Frederick to spark the offense. Fitzgerald followed with a base hit to the shortstop, scoring Frederick from third to give the team a 3-2 lead. However, the Friars were quick to respond, adding two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded shot to center by Jacque Harrington. The River Hawks were unable to plate a run in their last trip to the dish, sealing the 4-3 outcome.
UMass Lowell bounced back quickly in game two, combining for a season-high 15 hits and 10 runs scored. L. White used a leadoff single to get the team on base, before Fisher knocked her in to take an early lead. Another RBI single from Fitzgerald scored Fisher from third to give the squad a 2-0 edge after the first.
In the third, freshman Elizabeth Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) recorded her first career hit and RBI with a single to the outfield, scoring senior Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) to extend the lead. The team would continue to thrive at the plate, scoring three runs on three hits in the fourth. Frederick would drive in Quintanilla from third with an RBI single, followed by a two-RBI laser to left center field from Fitzgerald, making it 6-0 after four.
The River Hawks continued to keep the pressure on in their next at-bat, as Fisher stepped in with a runner in scoring position and stretched the difference to 7-0.
A two-RBI single from L. White and an RBI double from Quintanilla in the sixth would cap off the afternoon, making it 10-0. R. White would see out the remainder of the game, ending it early with a groundout to second base.
The River Hawks will square off against Howard on Saturday, March 2, at 12:30 p.m., followed by a rematch with Towson at 3 p.m.
