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 The River Hawks' 2010 season came to a close with a 7-2 loss to Assumption in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament |
May 4, 2010
Despite taking a 1-0 lead early on, the eighth-seeded UMass Lowell River Hawks fell to the fifth-seeded Assumption Greyhounds, 7-2, in the first round of the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament in Worcester on Tuesday afternoon.
With the loss, the River Hawks cap their season at 23-27, while Assumption continues on, standing at 25-18 on the year.
UMass Lowell took a 1-0 lead in the first after senior CF Katie Hebert (Lowell, MA) led off with a triple to right field. Freshman 3B Brianna Mahoney (Billerica, MA) grounded to the pitcher in the third at bat of the inning, allowing Hebert to come home on the throw.
The Greyhounds retaliated with a three-run second inning, however, capturing a lead they would not relinquish. They tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth before the River Hawks tried to chip away in the top of the fifth frame.
With two outs in the inning, UMass Lowell pieced together a rally that fell short. Sophomore SS Meagan Guy (Berlin, CT) was hit by a pitch before Hebert walked to put two runners on. Freshman 2B Krista MacKenzie (Ipswich, MA) then doubled to center to bring Guy home before the inning came to a close.
Despite The River Hawks bringing the game back within two runs (4-2), the Greyhounds added three more security runs in the fifth and sixth, holding onto the eventual final score, 7-2.
Sophomore P Elyssa Boris (Gardner, MA) fell to 10-12 on the year with the loss, as she pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed six runs – two earned – on nine hits. She walked five batters and struck out one. She was relieved by freshman P Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, MA), who threw one inning and allowed one run and one hit in the frame. Sophomore P Rachel Schafler (Floral Park, NY) came in, as well, retiring the only batter she faced.
Assumption’s Jennifer Lowrey improved to 14-7 on the year, striking out 10 batters and allowing just two runs on six hits in the game.
Hebert finished the game 1-3 with a run scored, while MacKenzie also went 1-3 with an RBI. Mahoney finished the day 1-4 with an RBI, while Boris went 2-3 from the plate.
Despite their early exit from the Tournament, the River Hawks more than doubled their win total from last season, turning the program around from a 10-31-1 season during the 2009 campaign.
