SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Freshman Thyanais Santiago (Methuen, Mass.) was 2-for-4 in game one, as UMass Lowell (11-19, 5-5 AE) split the doubleheader with Bryant (12-23, 4-7 AE) at Conaty Park on Friday afternoon in America East play.

The River Hawks claimed a 5-3 victory in extra innings in game one against the Bulldogs before falling 3-2 in game two.

"Two really competitive games," said Head Coach Jen Starek. "We pitched well, had timely hitting and good defense."

Santiago added two RBI and one run in the first game of the doubleheader. Freshman Taylor Dolan (Holbrook, Mass.) was 1-for-1 in game one with a triple and one RBI. Santiago, Dolan, freshman Emily Baumes (Rexford, N.Y.), senior Emily Tow (North Kingstown, R.I.) and freshman Kate Hardy (Alexandria, Va.) all registered an extra-base hit.

Sophomore Olivia DeCitise (Troy, N.Y.) was tagged with the win in game one as she pitched all eight innings, striking out eight. She also surpassed the 100 career strikeouts milestone in game one, as she now holds 106 career strikeouts. Junior Giana LaCedra (Tyngsborough, Mass.) was in the circle for game two, striking out two.

Baumes got things started in game one, ripping a leadoff double down the left field line. Although they were unable to get the runner home, the River Hawks put together a strong showing in the home half of the inning, making quick work of the Bulldogs' offense. After a scoreless top of the second, a leadoff home run by the hosts gave them the slight edge, 1-0, after two.

After Bryant added a second run in the fourth inning, the River Hawks began to find their footing at the plate in the fifth, starting with a leadoff single by Santiago. Although the Bulldogs were able to get the next two batters out, Dolan responded by launching a triple to the right field fence, sending the runner home to get the River Hawks on the board, 2-1.

Looking to even the score, freshman Avery Spinello-Branch (Lorton, Va.) singled through the left side to get things started in the sixth. After a throwing error and a fielder's choice allowed the freshman to advance to third, freshman Madi Wade (Hagerstown, Md.) earned the game-tying RBI with a sac fly that she sent to deep foul territory. Going into the home half of the inning, junior Katelyn Fitzgerald (Ambler, Pa.) completed a double play helping limit the Bulldogs to one hit in the bottom of the sixth.

With the score the same after seven, the River Hawks went straight to work to start extra innings, as Tow placed a double perfectly down the third baseline. Two batters later, after a groundout and a walk put runners on the corners with two outs, Santiago ripped a two-run

double into left center, immediately followed by an RBI double from Hardy, giving UMass Lowell the 5-2 advantage. The Bulldogs battled in the bottom of the eighth, recording two hits to post one run, but were unable to even the score, giving the River Hawks the 5-3 victory in game one.

In game two, Spinello-Branch got things started, reaching first on a fielding error by the shortstop before stealing second moments later. Next to the plate, Tow tapped a base hit to right field, sending Spinello-Branch home to earn the early 1-0 lead for UMass Lowell. The River Hawks shut the Bulldogs down in the home half of the inning, with Tow ending the inning by making an exceptional diving catch.

In the top of the second, Hardy and Fitzgerald earned back-to-back one-out walks, but the River Hawks were unable to capitalize, sending the game to the home half of the inning. Although Bryant tied the game up, UMass Lowell was quick to counter with a single and another stolen base by Spinello-Branch to begin the third. After she advanced to third on a ground out, Wade recorded an RBI to once again give her squad the lead, 2-1. The Bulldogs answered back in the bottom with two hits to produce one run, evening the score at 2-2.

After a scoreless fourth by both sides, Bryant used a walk and a pair of singles to claim their first lead of the game, 3-2, through five innings. The River Hawks refused to back down though, as Baumes knocked a single into right to kickstart the offense in the top of the sixth. The Bulldogs quickly locked down, keeping the visitors from plating the game-tying run, while holding UMass Lowell to only one hit in the seventh, sealing the 3-2 decision.

UMass Lowell will be back at Conaty Park on Sunday, April 13 with a single game against Bryant set for 12 p.m.