SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The UMass Lowell softball team picked up a pair of wins Saturday at the Roadrunner Classic, opening the day with an 8–6 victory over Northern Colorado before advancing in bracket play with a 3–1 extra-inning win over host UTSA at Roadrunner Field.
With the pair of wins, the River Hawks move to 4–5 on the season and finished the day with 11 runs on 19 hits across the two contests.
"Great day for the River Hawks," commented head coach Jen Starek. "Both wins were true team efforts with contributions throughout the lineup and in the circle. We had a lot of players step up in key moments, and Olivia was outstanding for us today."
Junior Olivia DeCitise (Troy, N.Y) headlined the effort in the circle, tossing a complete-game eight-inning performance in the semifinal against UTSA, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out 10. Offensively, Madi Wade (Hagerstown, Md.) paced Lowell with four hits on the day, including a home run, triple and two-RBI go-ahead single in extras. Caroline Calkins (Orting, Wash.) and Elizabeth Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) each added multiple hits across the two games, while the River Hawks received contributions throughout the lineup to secure the two wins.
Game 1: UMass Lowell 8, Northern Colorado 6
UMass Lowell erased an early deficit to open the day with an 8–6 victory over Northern Colorado in the morning game.
The Bears plated four runs in the first inning, but the River Hawks answered with three in the second and broke through with a four-run third to take a 7–4 lead. Wade led the charge with a 3-for-3 performance that included a home run and a triple, while Calkins tallied two doubles and two RBI. Sophomore Grace Stepp (Richboro, Pa.) added three hits as part of Lowell's 12-hit offensive output.
Northern Colorado pulled within a run in the fourth, but Lowell added an insurance run in the sixth and closed things out in the circle. Freshman Jessika Jennings (Roy Wash.) earned the win in relief, senior Giana LaCedra (Tyngsborough, Mass.) delivered 2.2 scoreless innings in the middle, and DeCitise recorded the final four outs to pick up the save.
Bracket Play – UMass Lowell 3, UTSA 1
In the semifinal, the River Hawks leaned on a dominant performance from DeCitise to secure a 3–1 extra-inning win over tournament host UTSA.
DeCitise set the tone early, retiring the side in order in the first two innings and carrying a scoreless game into the fourth before the Roadrunners pushed across a run on a triple and sacrifice fly. From there, she settled in and allowed just one hit the rest of the way, finishing with 10 strikeouts across eight innings.
Lowell tied the game in the sixth when Neeld singled to start the inning and later came home on an RBI hit-by-pitch from Baumes, evening the score at 1–1.
After DeCitise worked a clean seventh to force extras, the River Hawks delivered in the eighth. Baumes led off with a single and freshman Julia Rowley (Beacon Falls, Conn.) followed with a double to put runners in scoring position before Wade drove a two-RBI single to right center to give Lowell a 3–1 lead.
DeCitise returned to the circle and shut the door in the bottom half, completing the eight-inning win and holding UTSA to just three hits in the semifinal victory.
The River Hawks advance to the championship game of the Roadrunner Classic and will take on Stephen F. Austin on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
