LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell softball team (10-13, 1-0 AE) erased an eight-run deficit to earn a 12-11 extra-inning win against Maine in its home and America East opener on Friday afternoon at River View Field. 

Trailing 11-3 in the sixth, the River Hawks scored nine runs across the final three innings, including five in the seventh and the game-winner in the eighth, to complete the comeback victory.

"I think what's most important is that we had the grit to finish it and to get ourselves back in it without quitting," said head coach Jen Starek. "We were an out away from an eight-run rule, and to battle all the way back to tie it and eventually win it says a lot about this group."

Maine opened the scoring in the third and added single runs in the fourth and fifth before the River Hawks got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Kate Hardy (So., Alexandria, Va.) started the rally with an RBI double, while Emily Baumes (So., Rexford, N.Y.) and Avery Spinello-Branch (So., Lorton, Va.) each added RBI to cut the deficit to 4-3.

The Black Bears responded with a seven-run sixth inning to build an 11-3 advantage, but UMass Lowell answered right back. After Grace Rowan (Fr., Hood River, Ore.) and Elizabeth Neeld (Jr., Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) reached base, Thyanais Santiago (So., Methuen, Mass.) launched a three-run home run to center to pull the River Hawks back within five at 11-6.

UML kept the momentum going in the seventh. Julia Rowley (Fr., Beacon Falls, Conn.) led off with a single, and Katelyn Fitzgerald (Sr., Ambler, Pa.) reached on an error before Isabel Quintanilla (Jr., Puyallup, Wash.) drove in two with a single through the right side. Santiago added another RBI on a fielder's choice, Ella Van Alstyne (Fr., Beacon Falls, Conn.) brought home a run with a double to left center and Baumes tied the game, 11-11, with an RBI single.

Jessika Jennings (Fr., Roy, Wash.) held Maine scoreless in the seventh and eighth to give the offense a chance to finish the comeback. In the bottom of the eighth, Fitzgerald singled and Neeld doubled to put runners on second and third. Santiago then drew a walk to load the bases before Caroline Calkins (Fr., Orting, Wash.) delivered the walk-off RBI single.

Santiago led the offense with four RBI, while Neeld went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Van Alstyne added three hits, and Baumes and Quintanilla chipped in two RBI apiece as the River Hawks totaled 15 hits. 

Olivia DeCitise (Jr., Troy, N.Y.) earned the win in the circle, while Jennings provided 1.2 scoreless innings of relief in a key late-game effort.