Box Score EMMITSBURG, Md. – Senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) batted .500 with a home run and an RBI, as the UMass Lowell softball team (3-14) dropped the final game of a three-game weekend series, 4-3, in nine innings at Mount St. Mary's (6-12) on Sunday afternoon.
Junior Trinadey Santiago (Cheshire, Conn.) joined L. White with two hits on the day, going .667 with a single and two RBI. Senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) collected two hits and a run, as well, while senior Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.) and sophomore Katelyn Fitzgerald (Ambler, Pa.) hit .333.
Sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) started in the circle, going 4.1 innings pitched with five hits allowed and four strikeouts before junior Jen Slanovec (Bethlehem, Pa.) came out of the bullpen to finish the game and record the decision. She also allowed five hits and collected a strikeout.
L. White started the game with a single up the middle and would reach second thanks to a sacrifice bunt from freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) before stealing third, but the River Hawks were unable to capitalize.
The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third, Julia Vincent lined a base-clearing single to center field to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. The Mountaineers then added another RBI single, making it 3-0 after three innings.
UMass Lowell responded the following inning, getting things going with a single to right field from Fisher before Frederick connected on a double to right center. With the pair of runners on base, Santiago smashed a liner to right center, plating both River Hawks and cutting the deficit to 3-2 through four.
L. White would level the score in the top of the fifth, connecting on a home run that would clear the center field fencing to make it 3-3.
The River Hawks had an opportunity to grab the lead in the top of the seventh, with senior Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) stealing second after driving a base hit to left. Freshman Alaina Santoli (Lovettsville, Va.) then stepped up, sending a ball deep in the hole, however, Tulley was nabbed at home with a good throw by the second baseman. In the bottom half of the inning, the River Hawks recorded a double play to send the game into extra innings.
It was not until the ninth inning that Mount St. Mary's would seal the game with an RBI single to shortstop, taking a 4-3 decision.
The River Hawks head to Amherst to face off against Massachusetts on Wednesday, March 20 in the Kennedy Cup, before returning to Lowell for the America East opener with UAlbany on Friday, March 23.
