BOSTON – Three River Hawks garnered America East Softball All-Conference honors, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Freshmen Avery Spinello-Branch (Lorton, Va.), Thyanais Santiago (Methuen, Mass.) and Emily Baumes (Rexford, N.Y.) were all named to both the America East All-Conference Second Team and the America East All-Rookie Team.
 
"It is very exciting to have three of our freshmen make the All-Conference Team," said UMass Lowell Head Coach Jen Starek. "I am really excited to watch them grow as players over the next four years."
 
All three rookies shone in their respective debut campaigns in Lowell and are only the second, third and fourth players in program history to be named to both the All-Rookie Team and All-Conference Second Team in the same season, joining Ryley White (2021).
 
Spinello-Branch has started all 43 regular-season contests she has appeared in this spring, posting a .293 batting average with 39 hits, five doubles and a team-high 17 RBI. Her 19 stolen bases are not only the second-most in the conference, but also mark a new Division I single-season program record.
 
Santiago has appeared in 40 games so far with 33 starts for the River Hawks, boasting a .272 average with 25 hits, four doubles and a home run, while notching 10 RBI. She was one of three River Hawks to blast a home run this season and was 8-for-9 in her stolen base attempts.
 
Baumes, who has started all 44 games, has led all UMass Lowell hitters this season with a .316 batting average and .420 on-base percentage. She has also registered a team-high 42 hits, seven doubles and 17 RBI.