Baltimore, Md. -- Senior Tori Alexander (Woodbridge, Va.) collected three hits and scored two runs, but the UMBC Softball Team dropped a pair to visiting UMass Lowell on Saturday.

The Retrievers dropped a 4-2, eight inning, heart-breaker in game one, before the River Hawks took game two, 7-2.

Game 1

UMass Lowell (8-17, 2-1) got on the board early when leadoff hitter Madison Alcorn sent the third pitch of the game over the left field fence to stake UML to a 1-0 lead. UMBC (6-21, 1-2) would respond in the bottom half of the inning when Maddie Daigneau (New River, Az) leadoff with a bunt single, stole second and scored on an Imani Dawson (Hanover, Md.) one-out double.

The score remained deadlocked at one until the eighth when UML got three two-out runs to go up 4-1. Down to their final out, the Retrievers would rally, however, as Alexander laid down a bunt single and classmate Carly Lesko (New Milford, N.J.) singled to left to bring the tying run to the plate. Haley DeLany (Lederach, Pa.) then singled home Alexander to cut the deficit in half, but the River Hawks escaped to earn the victory.

Senior pitcher Kim Puccio (Sparata, N.J.) earned the tough-luck loss, going eight innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, while striking out four and walking two.

Alexander, Daigneau, DeLany and freshman Sierra Pierce (Youngstown, Ohio) collected two hits each in the game.

Game 2

UMass Lowell jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. UMBC got two back in the second when Alexander smacked a one-out single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Lesko single. Lesko advanced to third on the hit on a two-base error by the outfielder and then scored on a DeLany RBI groundout.

That's as close as the Dawgs would get as Lowell took the game, 7-2. Freshman Brianna Baker (Waldorf, Md.) pitched six innings of relief. Allowing just two runs (both earned) on five hits, while walking none and striking out two.

The Retrievers have a week off before traveling to Binghamton for three-game beginning next Saturday, April 7.