LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) grabbed her fifth home run of the season, as the UMass Lowell softball team (8-25, 3-10 AE) faced a 5-2 setback in the series finale against Bryant (28-11, 11-3 AE) on Saturday afternoon.
 
"We're just trying to get better each day, especially with a big weekend against Maine coming up," commented Head Coach Jen Starek.
 
Senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) collected the other RBI for the River Hawks in the contest, adding a hit to her afternoon. Graduate student Brenna Davenport (Merrimack, N.H.) also registered a hit, while senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) scored a run.
 
Graduate student Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) took the decision in the circle for the final game of the series, pitching all seven innings with five strikeouts.
 
A solo home run from Aleix Hudson started the outing, giving Bryant an early, 1-0 advantage. After Meg Mercal was hit by a pitch and Hannah Cochran doubled to right center, designated player Alexis Larrow sent a ball just over the shortstop's glove to score both runners and extend the buffer to 3-0 after the top of the first.
 
UMass Lowell threatened to cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the inning, starting when freshman Alaina Santoli (Lovettsville, Va.) reaching first on a fielding error from the opposing second baseman. Santoli then stole second before advancing to third on a Fisher sacrifice fly, but the home team was unable to scratch the run across.
 
Bryant grew its lead to 4-0 in the top of the second with a Maddie Coleman solo home run to left field. However, the River Hawks retaliated with a homer of their own in the bottom of the third, when Quintanilla crushed a ball to deep left-center to cut the difference to 4-1.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs put runners on the corners before Alyssa Garabedian scored on a throw down to second. 
 
UMass Lowell continued to battle, grabbing a leadoff single Davenport in the bottom of the sixth. After L. White hit into a fielder's choice, she stole second to put a runner in scoring position. Fisher then stepped up and lined a ball to the right-center field gap to score L. White and make it 5-2.
 
R. White and the River Hawks then quickly retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the seventh, but were unable to close the gap any further in their final chance, as Bryant held on for a 5-2 decision.
 
UMass Lowell returns to action on Wednesday, April 24 for a doubleheader at Stonehill before returning to River View Field for a three-game series with Maine.