BROOKHAVEN, NY (Apr. 19, 2008) – Freshman DH Hilary Hopkins (Poway, CA) batted a collective 3 for 6 with three runs as UMass Lowell suffered a sweep at Dowling, 2-1 and 7-5, Saturday at the Golden Lions Softball Complex.

With the sweep, UML slipped to 18-16 overall entering Sunday’s clashes at C.W. Post (12:00). The Golden Lions improved to 22-23.

In the opener, the River Hawks were limited to just four hits, opposed to Dowling’s nine, in the 2-1 loss. The Golden Lions took a 2-0 lead with runs in the fifth and sixth innings, the first when junior P Stephanie Plochochi singled and eventually scored on a groundout.

Dowling took a 2-0 lead in the sixth on a solo home run by senior C Jackie Hannon.

The River Hawks pulled a run back in the seventh when Hopkins singled and later advanced home on a single by sophomore P Lindsay Farmer (Kingston, NH).

Farmer took the loss as she scattered nine hits, two runs (earned and no walks while striking out three to slip to 8-8. Plochochi earned the win as she gave up four hits, one earned run and no walks while striking out four.

In the second game, The Golden Lions broke a 5-5 deadlock with two runs in the sixth inning on a two-run single by senior 1B Jackie Hannon the complete the sweep.

UML jumped out to a 5-2 lead after three innings, highlighted by a four-run second inning in which senior 2B Julie Brodie (Chelmsford, MA) and freshman LF Hannah May (Hardwick, MA) each had RBI singles and junior C Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA) a two-run single.

The River Hawks added one more in the third when Hopkins scored on a wild pitch. The Golden Lions, however, knotted the score in the fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run double from LF Alyssa O’Brien.

Brodie led the River Hawks, batting 3 for 4 with one RBI while Lajoie went 2 for 4 with two RBI. Sophomore 3B Heather Ross (Waltham, MA) hit 2 for 4 with one run.

O’Brien led Dowling, going 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run.

Freshman P Emily Wolf (Salem, NH) took the loss as she relieved freshman Nicole Monroe (Townsend, MA) in the fifth inning, surrendering three runs (two earned), four hits and no walks to slip to 1-2. Monroe allowed six hits and four runs (none earned), three walks and a strikeout.

Freshman P Julia Carbone earned the win as she scattered six hits, one earned run and a walk while striking out two.