ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine softball team will host UMass Lowell this weekend in the 2026 home opening series at the Pierre & Catherine Labat Softball Complex.
The Black Bears and River Hawks are set to play a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 followed by a 12 p.m. single game on Sunday, April 12.
The first 50 students on Saturday will received commemorative Maine softball steins while Sunday marks the annual Bark in the Park game.
All three games are slated for viewing on ESPN+.
Game 35 | Maine vs UMass Lowell
Saturday, April 11 | 12:00 p.m.
Orono, Maine | ESPN+
Game 36 | Maine vs UMass Lowell
Saturday, April 11 | 2:00 p.m.
Orono, Maine | ESPN+
Game 37 | Maine vs UMass Lowell
Sunday, April 12 | 12:00 p.m.
Orono, Maine | ESPN+
HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
- All three games of the series between Maine and UMass Lowell are set to be streamed on ESPN+.
- Live stats will be available via GoBlackBears.com
SERIES HISTORY vs UMASS LOWELL
- The Black Bears hold an overall record of 19-22 against the River Hawks after UMass Lowell swept a three-game series three weeks ago in Lowell.
- Maine went 3-4 against UMass Lowell last spring, going 2-4 in the regular season and then 1-0 in the postseason.
- The first-ever meeting between these two teams came in 1986, with UMass Lowell winning 11-7.
ABOUT UMASS LOWELL
- UMass Lowell brings an overall mark of 18-18 into the weekend series, including a record of 5-4 in America East games.
- The River Hawks split a doubleheader at Rhode Island on Tuesday night … last weekend, UML went 1-2 against Bryant.
- The River Hawks are led at the plate by Ella Van Alstyen, who owns a .301/.383./.437 slash line while Elizabeth Neeld is hitting .302/.396/.406 … Neeld and Madi Wade are tied for the team lead with 29 hits each.
- In the circle, UMass Lowell has relied on Olivia DeCitise and Giana LaCedra … DeCitise is 9-7 with a 3.16 earned run average and 109 strikeouts in 99.2 innings of work … LaCedra is 5-8 with a 4.34 earned run average and 52 strikeouts in 71.0 innings of work.
QUICK HITS
- Maine last played on Friday, April 3, falling in both ends of a doubleheader at Fairfield.
- Kaelyn Larkin leads Maine and is fifth in the conference with a .377 batting average while Francesca Guerrera is seventh in the conference with a team-leading 29 hits and is second on the team with her .290 batting average … Eviana Robles has knocked seven doubles, good for fifth-most among America East players.
- Keira Inman is tied first in the conference with two triples and is tied for fourth with four home runs.
- Morgan Pool is tied for third in America East with 17 walks while her team-leading 15 RBI ranks 14th among America East players.
- In the circle, Alysen Rieth leads Maine and is fifth in the conference with 72.1 innings pitched and is fourth with 59 strikeouts … Rieth is sitting on 296 career strikeouts.
- The Black Bears opened up the season with 16 consecutive games of scoring at least one run before having that streak snapped against Southern Utah on March 7 … it was the longest such streak to open the season since the 1999 season.
UP NEXT
- Maine will host Husson for a single game at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15.
- The Black Bears are slated to host Binghamton for a three-game series on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.
