March 13, 2010

Box Score (Game 1) |Box Score (Game 2)

The UMass Lowell River Hawks (1-1) opened their season splitting a doubleheader against Florida Southern College (13-10) in Lakeland, FL on Saturday afternoon, coming from behind in both contests and earning a victory in the late game. The Mocs took the first game of the afternoon 8-5 before the River Hawks earned a 6-5 victory in the second tilt of the day.

Freshman Brianna Mahoney (Billerica, MA) went 5-7 on the day and scored the game-winning run in the second tilt, while rookie P Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, MA) earned her first collegiate victory, allowing one run and three hits in 2.1 innings in the late game.

“It was good to get our first win of the season today,” head coach Sean Cotter said. “After the team went 0-for last season on spring break, we are happy to get this win under our belt.”

In the first game, the River Hawks came from being down 8-1, tallying four runs in the top of the seventh, but their rally fell short before they could overcome the deficit. Freshman 3B Mahoney went 3-4 in the game, including a base-clearing double, while classmate CF Krista MacKenzie (Ipswich, MA) knocked in three RBI in the losing effort.

Sophomore Marissa Fiorentino (Tewksbury, MA) started the game for the River Hawks, pitching four innings and allowing three runs, receiving the loss (0-1). Florida Southern’s Brittaney Alderman pitched a complete game for the Mocs, letting up five runs in seven innings.

The River Hawks were able to capitalize on their six hits by converting the offensive production into five runs, but still fell to the Mocs. Florida Southern 3B Erin Foley tallied a team-best three RBI in the game.

In the second contest of the afternoon, the River Hawks chipped away at a 4-1 Mocs lead before taking the game to extra innings, earning the 6-5 victory after Mahoney scored on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth.

Bryant improved to 1-0 on the year after a victory in her first decision, while Christine Clark fell to 4-6 after allowing six hits and five runs in 6.2 innings.

“We certainly came back in both games, so I think it showed a lot of character by our team,” Cotter said. “We played well against a nationally-recognized program and came out on our first date to really compete. We played good defense and played the bases well, so I was happy with our effort.”

The River Hawks continue their season tomorrow with a pair of games against St. Thomas Aquinas (11:30 a.m.) and Indiana Tech (1:30 p.m.) at the National Training Center in Clermont, FL.