LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Lauren Galavotti (Marion, Mass.) drove in three runs in game one and classmate Kelly DeSormier (Tiverton, R.I.) fired a complete game while scattering four hits in game two, but the Saint Anselm College softball team suffered a pair of losses against the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Monday afternoon at River View Field. The Hawks dropped a 9-8 decision in the first game, before falling, 2-0, in game two.
The Hawks have their seven-game winning streak snapped as they fall to 18-16 on the season, including 10-9 in Northeast-10 play. The River Hawks improve to 26-18, 12-10 NE-10.
Saint Anselm went on top, 1-0, in the second on a lead-off home run by Galavotti. Caelyn Ford answered back with a solo shot of her own to tie the game with two outs in the bottom half of the second.
The Hawks would take control from there, however, scoring three runs in the third, highlighted by a Galavotti two-out, two-run single to right that made it 4-1. Freshman Olivia Story (Middleton, Mass.) made it 5-1 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly that scored classmate Monique Gauthier (Canton, Conn.), who walked and moved to third on a double by fellow freshman Cara Crowley (Lynn, Mass.). Another three-spot in the fifth broke it open for the Hawks after senior Liz Trafton (Berwick, Maine) smacked a two-run homer.
Saint Anselm seemed to be in total control with an 8-1 lead, but UMass Lowell struck for six in the bottom of the fifth to slice it to 8-7. Sophomore Shannon Dalton (Concord, Mass.) was chased after 41/3 innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits to go along with three strike outs. Freshman Christina Boehn (Stamford, Conn.) allowed one inherited runner to score, but collected two outs to get out of the inning.
Boehn tossed a scoreless sixth, but with her team still ahead by one in the seventh she allowed a lead-off double, before Ford took her deep as the River Hawks walked off with the win. Boehn went 12/3-plus, allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out two.
Galavotti went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Senior Raylyn Glavin (Saugus, Mass.) was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Crowley was also 2-for-3. Trafton went 1-for-3 with a home run, pair of RBI and a run scored. Story was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run.
Game two was scoreless until the fourth inning when a sac fly by Lindsi Panarelli gave UMass Lowell the 1-0 lead. The River Hawks doubled their lead in the sixth on an RBI single to center by Elyssa Boris.
The Hawks were still down 2-0 in the seventh when senior Jackie Giannino (Beverly, Mass.) and Galavotti led off the inning with singles. Giannino went to third on Galavotti's single before Galavotti swiped second to put runners at second and third with no one out. Boris locked in, however, inducing a groundout, followed by a popout and another groundout to seal the victory.
DeSormier went all six innings, giving up two runs – one earned – on four hits.
The Hawks return to action Tuesday, April 26 when they play host to Stonehill College in doubleheader action beginning at 3 p.m.
