LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell softball team (14-27, 8-11 AE) is locked in for the America East Championship, entering as the No. 5 seed after concluding the regular season with an 8-11 conference record. The River Hawks will face off against reigning conference champion, No. 4 UMBC in the first round on Wednesday, May 8 at 11 a.m. at the UMaine Softball Complex.

Wednesday, May 8
vs. #4 UMBC (11 a.m.) – Live Stats | Watch

Team History
UMBC – All-time record: 15-19 | Last meeting: April 14, 2024 (4-3, UML)

Last Time Out
UMass Lowell concluded its 2024 regular season with a trip to Binghamton for a three-game series, beginning with a twin bill on Friday, May 3. After falling behind early, the River Hawks used junior Trinadey Santiago's (Cheshire, Conn.) first home run of the season to rally and take a 5-4 victory in game one. In game two, UMass Lowell found itself down a run early, but rattled off six runs, including a three-run home run from graduate student Brenna Davenport (Merrimack, N.H.) to grab a 6-1 decision, making it five straight wins and a doubleheader sweep. The River Hawks then dropped the final game of the series, 10-2, in five innings to close out the regular season. Senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) led the River Hawks at the plate, going .500 with five hits and four RBI, while Davenport collected four hits, three RBI and two runs.

Playoff Picture
The America East Softball Championship will take place in Orono, Maine at the UMaine Softball Complex from May 8-11. UMass Lowell and UMBC will be the first game of the opening round on May 8, with the winner advancing to take on #1 UAlbany at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 9. Championship coverage will be shown on all ESPN platforms, and any other information including live stats, tournament brackets, and postgame releases can be found in the link below.
Championship Website: Click Here

Leading the Flock
At the end of regular-season play, senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) leads the River Hawks at the plate, batting .326 with 45 hits, 31 runs and 22 RBI, adding 15 stolen bases, as well. Senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, N.J.) is hitting .307 with 39 hits, 18 runs, and a team-leading 27 RBI, while Brenna Davenport posts a .307 average with 35 hits, 15 runs and 13 RBI. She is currently riding a 13-game hitting streak, the longest stretch by any River Hawk this season. Senior Elizabeth Frederick (Sunapee, N.H.) is batting .254 with 32 hits, 22 runs, 15 RBI and nine doubles. Freshman Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) leads all freshmen with a .200 batting average, 22 hits, 20 runs, 17 RBI and a team-leading five home runs. In 24 appearances and 19 starts, Ryley White leads the River Hawks' rotation in wins (11), strikeouts (156), batting average against (.243) and complete games (13). 

Don't Tread on Her
Morgan Fisher has proven to be incredibly difficult for runners to advance on. In 41 games, she has caught 16 runners stealing, putting her tied for third in the country. 

Mill City Milestones
Ryley White surpassed 500 career strikeouts in the final contest of a three-game series against Maine (4.28), becoming the first player to achieve this milestone in UMass Lowell softball's Division I era. R. White currently ranks second all-time in program history for career strikeouts, 90 behind first-place holder Kristen Mahoney. She collected her 450th career strikeout in a doubleheader against Binghamton (4.17), and tossed a season-high 12 strikeouts against Massachusetts (3.20). R. White went on to top that mark, grabbing 13 in the following game at Merrimack (3.27) and again against Maine (4.27). The graduate student also ranks 23rd in the nation for strikeouts per seven innings (8.6).
Super Streaks

Brenna Davenport has been a reliable batter for the River Hawks in the last three weeks. The New Hampshire native is riding a 13-game hitting streak that started in the first game of a doubleheader against Binghamton. She has collected 17 hits in that span, with a home run, four doubles, six runs and six RBI. She is currently tied for second with the longest-hitting streak in DI program history.
Patience at the Plate

The River Hawks remain disciplined at the plate, earning 123 walks so far. Morgan Fisher leads the squad with 17 walks, tied for sixth in the conference. Isabel Quintanilla and Elizabeth Frederick are close behind with 16 each to rank tied for ninth in the America East. Lea White is next with 14 walks, followed by Trinadey Santiago, graduate student Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) and Brenna Davenport with 11 each. 
Too Fast to Catch

Through 41 games this season, the River Hawks boast an impressive stolen base percentage, going 52-for-62 (.839). Lea White leads all players with 15 stolen bases, good enough to rank tied for third in the conference. Elizabeth Frederick is next with 12 stolen bases to rank tied for sixth in the America East, followed by junior Emily Tow (North, Kingstown, R.I.) and Cayla Tulley with six apiece. Sophomore Shannon Howes (Palgrave, Ontario) and freshman Isabel Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) have stolen three bases each, followed by five River Hawks who have recorded one stolen base each.

Conference Leaders
So far, the River Hawks have several players who rank highly in conference statistics. Lea White is tied for third in the America East in stolen bases (15), sixth in runs scored (31), and seventh in hits (45). She also ranks in the top 20 in batting average (.326), RBI (22) and doubles (6). Morgan Fisher ranks tied for sixth in America East in walks (16), while Isabel Quintanilla ranks tied for ninth in walks (16) and in the top 15 in home runs (5).
Cayla Tulley, L. White and Elizabeth Frederick are three of 20 players in the America East to record a triple. Frederick is also tied for seventh in the conference in doubles (9). In the field, Morgan Fisher ranks third in the conference in putouts (243) and first in runners caught stealing (16), while Brenna Davenport is tied for second in double plays (12).
In the circle, Ryley White leads the conference in strikeouts (156), ranks third in innings pitched (127.0) and wins (11), eighth in opposing batting average (.243) and ninth in ERA (3.47). Sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) ranks in the top fifteen in ERA (5.16), strikeouts (45) and innings pitched (76.0). 

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 for the fifth time 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. She garnered her sixth America East Pitcher of the Week award on April 30 after earning two wins in a three-game series against Maine. She held a 1.52 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched and collected 32 strikeouts. 

Scouting the Retrievers
UMBC enters the 2024 America East Championship as reigning champion. The team enters the postseason with a 21-22 overall record, going 10-11 in conference play. The Retrievers are coming off a series loss to Bryant this past weekend, splitting a doubleheader on Friday before dropping the series finale on Saturday afternoon.
The River Hawks traveled to UMBC earlier this season for a three-game series, taking 9-2 and 4-3 victories to win the series. The Retrievers rank second in the conference defensively with a 3.31 ERA, and third offensively with a .279 team average. They also post the second most strikeouts (248), opposing batting average (.238) and hits against (264). At the plate, UMBC ranks third in hits (318) and home runs (34), while boasting the best stolen base percentage in the conference (.845), going 60-for-71 this season.
UMBC is led by several key players, including Ashley Della Guardia, a 2023 All-Conference First Team selection, and Emily Riggs, a 2023 All-Rookie Team selection. In 41 games this season, Della Guardia posts a .303 batting average and ranks in the top five on the team in hits (36), RBI (28), runs (24), and doubles (4). Riggs, who has started 40 games, leads her team in RBI (33) and home runs (6) while ranking in the top five on her squad in hits (35) and doubles (6). The rotation is led by Kya Matter, a 2023 All-Rookie Team selection. In 28 appearances and 23 starts, she posts a 10-13 record with a 2.61 ERA and leads her team in strikeouts (142), complete games (15) and opposing batting average (.216)