Bulldogs head to UMass Lowell for Tuesday double dip

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University softball team heads to Lowell, Mass., for a doubleheader showdown with the River Hawks, Tuesday afternoon at 2 and 4 p.m.

Looking to take advantage of the spring weather, the Bulldogs will play their first of two weekday doubleheaders on Tuesday vs. UMass Lowell. Coming off a 1-2 weekend which included a split with Mount St. Mary's in their Northeast Conference opener on Saturday, the Black and Gold will look to get back into a rhythm after inclement weather sidelined the Bulldogs for over two weeks.

Over the weekend, junior Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.) and Liana Ogata (Tustin, Calif.) led the way on the offensive end, each picking up seven hits with Bottino collecting a double, triple, a home run and six RBI. In the circle, classmate Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) was solid on Saturday, throwing a five inning shutout in Game 1 vs. The Mount, before finishing the day allowing four earned on 11 hits in six innings of work in Game 2.

In a similar situation as Bryant, the River Hawks are eager to get back on the diamond after a two-week vacation due to inclement weather conditions. Entering Tuesday's double dip with a 9-13 overall mark, UMass Lowell's last action came on March 17 when it was swept by Florida International, 9-1 and 3-0. Alisha Welch leads her team at the plate with a .298 average through 22 games while Emilia Davies' two homers and 11 RBI are both tops for the River Hawks. Marielle Handley and Erica Armenti have combined for 124 of 147.1 total innings in the circle, posting a 4.47 ERA as a team.