LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell softball team (3-14) will wrap up an 18-game road swing before playing its home opener this week. The River Hawks first head to in-state foe Massachusetts for the Kennedy Cup battle on Wednesday, March 20 before kicking off America East action at River View Field against UAlbany on March 23-24. 
 
Wednesday, March 20
at Massachusetts (2 p.m.) – Live Stats | Watch
 
Saturday, March 23
vs. UAlbany (DH) (1 p.m.) – Live Stats | Watch
vs. UAlbany (DH) (3 p.m.) – Live Stats | Watch
 
Sunday, March 24
vs. UAlbany (12 p.m.) – Live Stats | Watch
 
Team History
Massachusetts – All-time record: 4-6 | Last meeting: March 22, 2023 (3-0, UML)
UAlbany – All-time record: 20-21 | Last meeting: April 29, 2023 (6-2, UML)
 
Last Time Out
UMass Lowell returned to Maryland for a three-game series against Mount St. Mary's. The River Hawks fell, 4-2, in game one before falling in a close battle, 4-3, in ten innings. The River Hawks dropped the final game, 4-3, in nine innings. Senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) batted .250 for the weekend, grabbing a home run, two runs and an RBI. Junior Trinadey Santiago (Cheshire, Conn.) also performed well at the plate, going 2-for-6 with two RBI, while freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) recorded a home run, her second of the season, along with two RBI. In the circle, sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) made two starts, going 8.2 innings with a 2.56 ERA and eight strikeouts. Junior Jen Slanovec (Bethlehem, Pa.) made two appearances, allowing no earned runs and forcing two strikeouts.
 
Leading the Flock
Lea White and senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) lead the River Hawks at the plate through 17 games. L. White is batting .333 with 20 hits, three doubles and 10 RBI, while Fisher is hitting .321 with 17 hits, nine runs, six RBI and two home runs. Trinadey Santiago has also impressed, batting .306 with 11 hits, three runs, two doubles and four RBI in 14 appearances. Isabel Quintanilla leads all freshmen with a .200 batting average, 11 hits, nine runs and six RBI. Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) has found her rhythm in the circle, making nine appearances and six starts. She leads the River Hawks in wins (3), strikeouts (56) and batting average against (.278). Jen Slanovec leads the River Hawks' rotation in ERA (4.06), hits allowed (31) and runs allowed (11).
  
Patience at the Plate
The River Hawks remain disciplined at the plate, ranking second in the conference in walks drawn with 51 total so far. Isabel Quintanilla and Trinadey Santiago lead the squad and rank third in the conference in walks with seven each. Morgan Fisher follows close behind with six, followed by six River Hawks who have earned five walks, respectively.
 
Too Fast to Catch
Through 17 games this season, the River Hawks have a near-perfect stolen base percentage, going 18-for-20. Senior Elizabeth Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.) and Lea White lead all players with five stolen bases each, followed by junior Emily Tow (North Kingstown, R.I.) with three. Freshman Elizabeth Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) is close behind with two, and three River Hawks have also recorded one stolen base each.
 
Conference Leaders
The River Hawks have several players who rank highly in conference statistics through the first month of the softball season. Isabel Quintanilla and Trinadey Santiago both rank third in walks drawn (7), while Lea White ranks in the top fifteen in the America East in hits (20), RBI (10) and stolen bases (5). 
 
Cayla Tulley is one of 12 players in the America East to record a triple, while Ellie Frederick is tied for second in doubles (5). In the field, Morgan Fisher ranks third in the conference in putouts (94) and runners caught stealing (9), while Brenna Davenport leads the conference in double plays (5) and Cayla Tulley ranks first in fielding percentage (1.000). 
 
In the circle, Jen Slanovec ranks second in ERA (1.68), third in earned runs allowed (11) and fourth in hits allowed (21). Ryley White and Giana LaCedra both rank in the top ten in strikeouts, collecting 56 and 20, respectively. Ryley White also ranks sixth in the conference in wins (3) and innings pitched (40.2).
 
America East Weekly Winners
Two River Hawks have earned America East weekly honors this season. Isabel Quintanilla earned America East Rookie of the Week on February 13, the first of her collegiate career. She collected three hits, three RBI and two runs scored at the Lion Classic hosted by Texas A&M Commerce and capped off the weekend by collecting her first career home run. Ryley White was tabbed America East Pitcher of the Week on March 12, her fifth as a River Hawk. The senior made a relief appearance in game two of a doubleheader with George Mason, going 3.2 innings pitched, registering a 2.18 ERA and striking out five batters to secure a comeback victory.
 
Scouting the Minutewomen
Massachusetts ended the 2023 season with a 17-34 overall record, going 8-18 to finish eighth in the A10 Conference. So far, the Minutewomen are 5-17, going 1-2 in their conference opener against St. Louis this past weekend. Going into the 2024 season, the team was projected to finish ninth in the 2024 A10 Preseason Poll, receiving 28 points. The team is filled with experienced players, including senior infielder Bella Pantoja and senior utility player Abby Packard. Through 22 games, Pantoja leads her team in batting average (.299), hits (20) and slugging percentage (.403), while adding seven doubles, five runs and five RBI to her season totals. Packard leads her squad in stolen bases (2) and ranks in the top five in hits (11) and doubles (4), while posting a perfect fielding percentage (1.000). In the circle, junior Julianne Bolton leads her team in almost every pitching statistic, including wins (4), ERA (3.71), complete games (6), strikeouts (45) and batting average against (.259).
 
Scouting the Great Danes
UAlbany will be the first conference opponent that UMass Lowell meets in 2024. The Great Danes reached the 2023 America East Championship game, but fell to UMBC, 9-3. They finished their season with a 24-20 overall record, going 11-7 in conference to earn third place. So far this season, the Great Danes are 9-6 overall, and are coming off winning three of four games at the UMBC Spring Invite. They were projected to finish fourth in the 2024 America East Preseason Poll, finishing just behind UMass Lowell with 14 points. UAlbany returns three players who earned 2023 All-Conference selections, including graduate student outfielder Caitlyn Mitros and graduate student catcher Maddi Petrella. Through 15 games this season, Mitros ranks first on the team in batting average (.409), hits (18), runs (13) and stolen bases (6), while Petrella ranks first in on-base percentage (1.279), doubles (6) and home runs (4). The team also returns redshirt junior pitcher Kate Powers, who in four appearances and three starts, posts a 3-0 record with a 0.39 ERA, 10 strikeouts and a .167 batting average against.