LOWELL, Mass. –Junior Trinadey Santiago (Cheshire, Conn.) batted 4-for-6 (.667), as the UMass Lowell softball team (11-26, 5-10 AE) swept a doubleheader against Maine (4-35, 1-16 AE) on Saturday afternoon.
The River Hawks took game one, 3-0, before holding on to earn a 4-3 victory in game two.
“I think we played really well as a team today,” commented Head Coach Jen Starek. “Ryley White really set the tone for us today. She wanted the ball out there and she deserved it.”
Santiago added a run and two RBI in the twin bill. graduate student Brenna Davenport (Merrimack, NH) hit .500 at the plate, collecting a double, two RBI and a run scored. Senior Lea White (Meriden, Conn.) collected two hits, while senior Morgan Fisher (Glassboro, NJ) added a hit and a run. Senior Elizabeth Frederick (Sunapee, NH) and graduate student Cayla Tulley (Corona, Calif.) both collected a hit, RBI and a run across both contests.
“They’re a really great group of girls,” Starek responded when asked about the players recognized for senior day. “It’s been my pleasure to coach them for the last three to four years, and we will definitely miss them after this season.”
Graduate student Ryley White (Wareham, Mass.) took the circle for game one, throwing a two-hit complete game and matching a season-high 13 strikeouts in the win. Sophomore Giana LaCedra (Tyngsboro, Mass.) started game two, going 3.1 innings pitched with a strikeout before freshman Olivia DeCitise (Troy, NY) highlighted her. She went 1.1 innings before R. White came in for relief, recording a save with three strikeouts.
R. White made quick work of the Black Bear lineup to start game one, striking out the side at the top of the first. Davenport grabbed UMass Lowell’s first hit of the day with a left field single in the home half of the inning, followed by a right-field single from Fisher. Both runners advanced to put themselves into scoring position before Frederick knocked in the first run of the day on an infield blooper to shortstop. Santiago then lined up a single over the shortstop’s glove to clear the bases and extend the lead to 3-0 after the first.
R. White continued his dominance in the circle, allowing no hits and recording seven strikeouts through 3.1 innings pitched. The Massachusetts native gave up her first hit of the afternoon at the top of the fourth, but ended the inning by striking out her eighth batter of the game.
Maine threatened to cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth, after an infield fielding error put a runner on third. However, the defense remained steady and extinguished the opportunity.
After both sides went scoreless in the sixth, R. White closed the top of the seventh with her 13th strikeout of the afternoon, matching a season-high and giving the River Hawks a 3-0 victory in game one.
L. White collected a right field single and stole base to open game two. Davenport then drew a walk, followed by stolen bases from both runners to put them on second and third, but the game would remain scoreless early on.
UMass Lowell garnered another scoring opportunity the following inning, as Fitzgerald doubled and Santiago singled to center field, advancing to second on a throw to put runners in scoring position. Tulley would later crush a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring Santiago to make it 1-0. Freshman Alaina Santoli (Lovettsville, Va.) and L. White both earned walks to load the bases before Davenport delivered a hit up the middle to extend the River Hawk lead to 3-0 through two complete.
LaCedra limited the Black Bear offense through the first three innings of the contest, only giving up two hits and keeping the visitors scoreless during that stretch.
Maine found a lifeline at the top of the fourth, using back-to-back walks to scratch across its first run. Santiago then threw a force out at home, and Fitzgerald collected a routine pop-out to keep a 3-1 lead.
UMass Lowell responded in the bottom half of the inning, starting with a left-field double from Tulley, and Santoli reaching on a fielding error. With runners on the corners, L. White laid down a sacrifice bunt, where Tulley beat out the tag from the catcher, bringing the score to 4-1 after the fourth.
At the top of the fifth, Maine cut back into the deficit with back-to-back RBI singles from Gabby Papushka and Caitlyn Fallon to make it 4-3. The visitors continued to battle at the top of the sixth, putting runners on first and second with two outs. The River Hawks remained composed, though, ending the inning with a groundout to second base to maintain a 4-3 advantage.
Both sides went scoreless in the sixth, leaving the top of the seventh to be decided. After a strikeout and pop out to right field, Davenport recorded a groundout to second base to give the River Hawks a 4-3 decision in game two.
UMass Lowell looks to close the series against the Black Bears tomorrow, April 28, with first pitch taking place at 12 pm
