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, with a free Maine bandanna and tennis ball for the first 25 dogs.
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.
