Softball Drops Two to UMass Boston

BOSTON, Mass. – The Rivier softball team fell to UMass Boston by scores of 10-8 and 11-4 in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at the UMB Softball Field.  

With the losses, the Raiders fell to 5-9 overall, while the Beacons improved to 14-0.

Rivier returns to the diamond for their Great Northeast Athletic Conference opener against Emmanuel (Mass.) on Sunday, March 30. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Roberto Clemente Field.

UMass Boston 10, Rivier 8

Both squads were held scoreless through the first two innings of play until UMass Boston broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third inning, with four Beacons crossing the plate. However, UMass Boston's lead quickly disappeared in the top half of the fourth inning.

Junior Avry Nelson was the first Raider on base in the inning, reaching on a walk, followed by graduate student Hannah Muchemore and senior Courtney Marioles recording back-to-back singles to load the bases. With one out, junior Hayley Rapaglia reached on an error to bring home Rivier's first run of the contest and junior Olivia Couto logged an RBI single in the following at-bat, cutting the Beacons' lead to 4-2.

Sophomore Sophia Quinlan brought the game level at 4-4 with a two-RBI single, followed by sophomore Hayleigh Silva hitting an RBI double and Nelson tallying a base knock in her second go around in the inning to give the Raiders a 6-4 lead.

UMass Boston answered for one of Rivier's runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly ball to right field from Haley Tillberry. The Raiders regained a two-run lead in the top of the fifth inning off an RBI double from Couto.

The Beacons came out swinging in the bottom of the sixth inning, putting up three runs, two of which crossed the plate on an RBI double to take a 10-7 lead. In an attempt at a comeback, Couto recorded her third hit of the game, an RBI single, to bring the Raiders within two runs. With two runners in scoring position and one out, the Beacons retired the final two Raiders to close out the contest, 10-8.

Couto led the team with three hits and three RBIs, while Rapaglia followed closely, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Sophomore pitcher Hailey Berube threw all six innings, striking out three Beacons.

UMass Boston 11, Rivier 4 (5 inn.)

UMass Boston came out strong in game two, scoring twice in the first inning and adding nine more runs between the second and fourth to build an 11-0 lead.

Graduate student Kayla Miles put Rivier on the board in the top of the fifth inning with her 100th career hit, an RBI single that scored Marioles. Shortly after, first-year Bryanna Mason reached on catcher's interference, allowing Muchemore to score. Quinlan followed with a two-RBI double, cutting the deficit to 11-4.

The Beacons secured an 11-4 victory after the game was called at the end of the fifth inning due to darkness.