WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomore Danielle DeMarco collected two RBI and redshirt junior Jenice Aloyo enjoyed a 3-for-3 outing at the plate, but it wasn't enough for the University of Hartford softball team as it dropped the series finale to UMass Lowell on Senior Day at the Hartford Softball Field. Dropping an 8-2 decision, the Hawks drop to 2-34 on the season with an 0-11 record in the America East.

Prior to the contest, Hartford's three seniors – Ana Alberti, Margaret Betz, and Jackie Kelly – were honored in a Senior Day Ceremony. The trio will play at home for the final time in their careers when the Hawks return to action on Wednesday afternoon against Marist at 2 p.m.

Two big frames in the top of the fourth and the top of the seventh broke open a 1-1 game for the River Hawks, who improve to 15-23 and 4-7 in the league after completing the three-game sweep. Abby Jamieson went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Melissa King drove in four runs to help pitcher Marielle Handley improve to 8-9 on the season.

The two squads exchanged zeroes through the first two innings before UMass Lowell struck the scoreboard. A walk issued to Ariana Darcy by Hartford starting hurler Kelsey Bird in the top of the second came back to haunt the Hawks as Jamieson went on to produce the game's first run. A blast to the warning track of left centerfield was just out of reach of a diving Betz, allowing Darcy to come home from first base to give the River Hawks the edge.

Hartford quickly grabbed that run back in the bottom half of the inning, though, using a pair of hits followed by a fielder's choice sacrifice fly. With one out, Ferguson laced a single into left field before a speedy Aloyo laid down a bunt and beat out the throw at first to put runners on first and second. Jamie Soles reached on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat to load up the basepaths before DeMarco's deep fly ball to centerfield allowed Ferguson to cruise home and put the Hawks on the board.

But UMass Lowell got the bats going in the top of the fourth and used three hits to manufacture four runs to regain the advantage at 5-1. Leading off the frame with a double by Emilia Davies, King picked up her first RBI of the afternoon in the next at-bat, lacing a single down the leftfield line.

Following a pitching change that saw Bianca Ross take over for Bird, UMass Lowell had runners on first and second as the new hurler walked Tori Alcorn. An RBI double off the barrel of Brianna Martin drove in one to make it a 3-1 lead before an Ally Greene sacrifice fly and a Darcy infield ground out pushed the River Hawks' lead to 5-1.

The Hawks had a chance to cut in to UMass Lowell's advantage, rallying to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth. Working with two outs, Aloyo, Jamie Soles and DeMarco notched consecutive singles. No runs would reach the scoreboard, though, as Handley induced Kelly into an outfield fly out to end the frame.

UMass Lowell added three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh in an inning that was highlighted by a bases-clearing, two-run King double that landed in left centerfield. That hit pushed UMass Lowell's lead to seven runs at 8-1. A late, two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh produced one run for the Hawks. Working a walk off Handley, Aloyo and the Hawks stayed alive on a Soles single. The centerfielder would then score on a DeMarco single down the right field line, but the two-out rally wouldn't continue as a groundout to first base ended the contest.

Bird drops to 2-10 with the loss.