ORONO, Maine – Behind a four-run fifth inning and a clutch relief outing from junior Olivia DeCitise (Troy, N.Y.), the No. 4 UMass Lowell softball team (27-25) punched its ticket to the America East Championship game with a 4-3 victory against No. 2 Binghamton (17-25) on Friday afternoon at the Labat Complex.
Junior Elizabeth Neeld (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) paced the offense with two hits and two RBI, while sophomore Thyanais Santiago (Methuen, Mass.) added two hits and an RBI. Junior Isabel Quintanilla (Puyallup, Wash.) delivered a key RBI double in the decisive fifth inning, helping the River Hawks erase a 1-0 deficit and take control.
Senior Giana LaCedra (Tyngsborough, Mass.) got the start in the circle and struck out four across 3.0 innings before DeCitise entered in relief to earn her 18th win of the season. DeCitise tossed the final four innings, allowing two runs while stranding the tying run on base in the seventh.
Both teams traded chances through the opening four innings before Binghamton broke through first in the bottom of the fourth. After putting two runners on and moving them into scoring position, the Bearcats used a sacrifice fly to right field to take a 1-0 edge.
The River Hawks answered immediately with a momentum-swinging top of the fifth. Sophomore Emily Baumes (Rexford, N.Y.) worked a leadoff walk before freshman Ella Van Alstyne (Beacon Falls, Conn.) followed with another free pass. Sophomore Avery Spinello-Branch (Lorton, Va.) then dropped down a bunt single to load the bases and turn the lineup back over to the top of the order.
Neeld came through first, shooting a two-run single up the middle to score Baumes and Van Alstyne and give Lowell its first lead of the afternoon. Santiago followed with an RBI single to left to plate Spinello-Branch, and after a pitching change, Quintanilla lined an RBI double to right field to cap the four-run frame and push the advantage to 4-1.
Binghamton threatened again in the sixth after a two-run home run cut the deficit to one, but DeCitise settled things down and retired the next batter to prevent further damage.
The Bearcats mounted one final push in the seventh, putting two runners aboard with two outs, although the River Hawks defense held strong as Van Alstyne secured the final out in left field to send Lowell to the America East title game.
The River Hawks will return to action on Friday, May 9 for the America East Championship game at 12 p.m., where they will face the winner of Thursday evening's elimination game between Bryant and Binghamton.
