GORHAM, Maine   – Freshman Melissa DellaTorre (Scarborough, Maine) spun a second game gem, striking out 13 batters, to lead the Bowdoin College Polar Bears to a sweep of the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a non-conference softball doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Towers Field in Gorham, Maine.  Bowdoin defeated USM 7-1 in the opener and closed out the doubleheader with a 5-1 win behind DellaTorre's strong performance in the circle.

            The pair of wins improves the Polar Bears overall record to 15-13.  The Huskies, winless in their last 20 games, fall to 2-24. 

            Strong from the start, DellaTorre retired a string of 13 consecutive USM hitters, spanning the first through fifth innings, and kept the Huskies off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth inning.  During that stretch, DellaTorre had six consecutive strikeouts.  She took the win allowing two earned runs on seven hits, without yielding a walk.

             Junior OF Hillary Smyth (Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) led the Polar Bear offensive knocking in three of their four runs in the first inning with a double to straight away center field. 

            USM freshman P Samantha Morse (South China, Maine/Erskine Academy) pitched well in the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits, six walks and seven strikeouts.  Sophomore C Katie Davis (Woburn, Mass.) plated both of the Huskies runs with her sixth double of the season.

            In the first game, sophomore OF Jen Barlow (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) stroked a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to lead Bowdoin.  Ahead 3-0 after three innings, Bowdoin took advantage of some sloppy USM defense to tack on four unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning and grab a 7-0 lead. 

            Southern Maine broke up the shut out with a run in the bottom of the sixth with a RBI single from senior P Sarah Deroche (Portland, Maine/Deering), but it was the only run of the game for the Huskies.

Sophomore P Tricia Thibodeau (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) earned the win for the Polar Bears holding the Huskies to six hits over seven innings.  Thibodeau struck out two and did not give up a walk. 

Deroche took the loss for Southern Maine, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and four walks.  Deroche collected six strikeouts.

Southern Maine hosts Western Connecticut State University on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).  Bowdoin hosts Tufts on Friday (4:00 p.m.)