Box Score

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.) connected for two home runs and five RBI in the game to help lead the Southern Connecticut State University softball team to a 12-3 win over UMass-Lowell in the second round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament from Penmen Field in Manchester, N.H.

SCSU will next play Adelphi on Friday in the semifinals at 4 p.m.

Yesenia Evaristo (Bethel, Conn.) got the win for SCSU (31-19) going 3.2 innings while allowing no runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeout. Starting pitcher Kelsey Cockrill (Haymarket, Va.) took the no decision going 3.1 innings while allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Marielle Handley took the loss for UMass-Lowell (26-21-1) going 6.1 innings while allowing eight runs on 11 hits with four walks and one strikeout.

UMass-Lowell took the early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after  Abby Jamieson hit two-run single with one out to right field. The River Hawks tacked on another run in the fourth to make it 3-0 when a run scored on a throwing error by the Owls.

Downs then put the Owls on the board, 3-1, with a solo home run in the fifth down the left field line.

The River Hawks had a chance to get some breathing room in the fifth while putting runners on first and second with one out. Brianna Mahoney then singled to left field to move the runners, but the lead runner,  Arian Darcy, was out at home to end the inning from left field to pitcher to shortstop. That would be their last chance in the game.

The Owls then erupted with 11 runs over the next two innings to cruise to the comeback win.

In the sixth and after two quick outs, Brittany Bucko (Wallington, N.J.) tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run double and runners on first and second, scoring Sarah Koerner (Coventry, R.I.) and Evaristo. Two batters later and with runners at the corners, Downs then hit the go-ahead three-run home run to right field and made it 6-3, scored Bucko and Nicole Buch (Darien, Conn.).

In the seventh, the Owls then put up six runs on five hits to take an 12-3 lead to break the game open. SCSU had RBI from Kate Hoffman (Orange, Conn.), Koerner, Buch and Downs, while Stacy Pouliot (Ledyard, Conn.) had a two-run single in the inning.

Downs went 3-for-3 in the game. Pouliot went 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Bucko was 1-for-5 with two RBI, Julie Muscarella (Suffield, Conn.) and Koerner had two hits.