VESTAL, N.Y. – The UMass Lowell softball team (24-25, 11-10 AE) closed out its regular season slate on Saturday afternoon at Binghamton (16-24, 15-5 AE), battling through a 2-1 pitcher's duel in game one before falling 9-1 in game two.
Sophomore Emily Baumes (Rexford, N.Y.) led the River Hawks offensively in the opener, going 2-for-2 with a double and UMass Lowell's lone RBI. Junior Elizabeth Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) added three hits across the two games, while sophomore Avery Spinello-Branch (Lorton, Va.) went 2-for-2 with an RBI in game two. Freshman Ella Van Alstyne (Beacon Falls, Conn.) also recorded a hit in the second game while striking out four in the circle.
Game 1: UMass Lowell 1, Binghamton 2
The opener quickly settled into a pitcher's duel, with both sides putting a runner on in the first before the defenses worked out of early traffic. Senior Giana LaCedra (Tyngsborough, Mass.) kept Binghamton off the board through the first two frames, striking out three and stranding a runner in scoring position in the second.
Binghamton broke through in the third, using a two-out single, an RBI double and a run-scoring single to take a 2-0 lead. The River Hawks answered in the fourth after junior Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) led off with a single to right. Freshman Julia Rowley (Beacon Falls, Conn.) later worked a walk before freshman Caroline Calkins (Orting, Wash.) doubled to left to put two runners in scoring position. Baumes then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Rowley to score and cut the deficit to 2-1.
LaCedra kept the River Hawks within striking distance the rest of the way, working around traffic in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings while holding the Bearcats scoreless across the final three frames. UMass Lowell threatened again in the seventh when Baumes singled and sophomore Madi Wade (Hagerstown, Md.) followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position, but Binghamton escaped the jam to hold on for the win.
LaCedra went the distance in the circle, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with seven strikeouts. Baumes paced the offense with two hits and an RBI, while Neeld, Quintanilla, Calkins and Wade each added a hit.
Game 2: UMass Lowell 1, Binghamton 9 (6 inn.)
The River Hawks struck first in game two, getting on the board in the second inning. Rowley reached on an error to open the frame, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Van Alstyne worked a walk, Spinello-Branch delivered an RBI single to left, scoring Rowley for the 1-0 advantage.
Van Alstyne held Binghamton scoreless through the first three innings, including a clean second frame with back-to-back strikeouts. The Bearcats took the lead in the fourth, using a two-run home run to move in front, 2-1.
UMass Lowell created another scoring chance in the fifth when Van Alstyne singled to center and Spinello-Branch followed with a bunt single. Neeld then reached on a fielder's choice to put two runners on before the Bearcats worked out of the inning.
Binghamton extended its lead in the bottom half, using a two-run home run and a three-run home run to push the score to 7-1. The Bearcats added two more in the sixth on a two-run homer to close out the game.
Neeld and Spinello-Branch each recorded two hits in game two, with Spinello-Branch driving in the River Hawks' lone run. Van Alstyne struck out four over 5.0 innings, while freshman Jessika Jennings (Roy, Wash.) added one strikeout in relief.
Up Next
With the regular season complete, the River Hawks will turn their attention to the America East Conference Tournament, which begins next Wednesday. Stay tuned to goriverhawks.com
