River Hawks’ Bats Come Alive in Sweep at Rhode Island

Photo is courtesy of UMass Lowell

KINGSTON, R.I. – Junior Alyssa Hasbrouck (Middletown, N.Y.) and freshman Sydney Barker (Upland, Calif.) each totaled four RBI to lead the UMass Lowell softball team (7-30) to a pair of wins at Rhode Island (11-20) on Thursday afternoon.

The River Hawks picked up an 8-2 victory in game one before recording a season-best 16 hits in an 11-7 win in game two.

"We did great all around today," said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. "We had a lot of great at-bats, all the way from the first game through the last game. Even when we were behind, we continued to have quality at-bats and that's something we have worked on. I think we are in a good place rolling into this weekend against Stony Brook."

Barker finished the day with a team-high four hits (.500), including her first career home run.
Hasbrouck registered the first homer of her collegiate career in game one, in addition to adding another in game two. Sophomore Samantha McQueen (Ewing, N.J.) tied Barker with four runs scored, while junior Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) went 3-for-5 in the twin bill, good for a .600 average. Freshmen Sydney Wash (Suffolk, Va.) and Kaysee Talcik (Shelton, Conn.) each earned a win in the circle, as well.

The River Hawks' offense went to work in their very first at-bat of the day, jumping out to a quick, 4-0 lead in game one. Sophomore Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) logged the team's first RBI, plating T. Alcorn, who had started the game off with a walk. UMass Lowell then loaded the bases before using a walk from Hasbrouck, single by junior Taylor August (Howell, N.J.) and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Kate Mims (West Chester, Pa.) to score three more, creating the early advantage.

Rhode Island cut the difference in half in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of solo homers. The Rams would also threaten in the next two innings, but the UMass Lowell defense forced the home squad to strand four runners.

Mims earned a free pass in the top of the fourth and her pinch runner, sophomore Colleen Frank (Berkeley Heights, N.J.), advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Brianna West (Fairfield, Conn.), although she was eventually caught stealing third. The River Hawks were able to extend their buffer in the fifth, getting walks from McQueen and Hasbrouck to bring up August, who drove a hard ball to left to make the score 6-2.

Although both sides went three-up and three-down in the sixth, UMass Lowell kept swinging in the seventh, as Hasbrouck roped a two-run home run over the fence in left to help her team seal the 8-2 victory.

In game two, it would be the Rams who got on the board first with two runs in the home half of the first. However, freshman Marisa Carrasco (Peoria, Ariz.) led off the third with a two-bagger that sparked a four-run rally for the visitors. T. Alcorn scored Carrasco with a double of her own before Barker and Cooper each tallied a RBI and junior Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia) scored on a URI miscue, putting UMass Lowell in front, 4-2.

Rhode Island chipped away at the difference with one run in the bottom of the inning. Junior Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) retired the home squad in order in the fourth, giving her team momentum in its next trip to the dish, when Barker, McQueen and Hasbrouck would all send balls out of the park to push the River Hawks' lead to 7-3.

The margin was short-lived, though, as the Rams used two hits and three miscues to knot the score at 7-7 in the home half of the fifth. UMass Lowell battled from behind once again, rallying for four runs in the sixth with the help of a two-run base hit up the middle from Barker. The visitors then held on until the game was called due to darkness in the seventh to secure the 11-7 outcome.

The River Hawks, who now lead the all-time series with Rhode Island 4-2, will return to action on Saturday, April 16 when they host Stony Brook for the first two games of a three-game America East series. First pitch for that doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.