Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 GORHAM, Maine – Sophomore Bekah Jackson (Nashua, N.H./Nashua North) went 4-for-7 at the plate with four RBI and two runs scored to lead the Plymouth State University Panthers to a sweep of the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Towers Field in Gorham.
Earning their fifth consecutive win, the Panthers improve to 14-14 overall and 4-4 in the Little East Conference. Suffering their fourth straight loss, the Huskies fall to 3-27 and 1-5 in the Little East.
Jackson cracked her third homerun of the season on the first pitch of the first game to set the tone for the Panthers en route to their 13-0 five-inning win in the opener. Johnson's shot cleared the Huskies' left field fence easily to spot the Panthers a 1-0 lead early.
The Panthers added five more runs in the top of the second to take control 6-0. PSU scored five runs on four hits, including an RBI from Jackson and a two-run double from sophomore Sam Hebert (Manchester, N.H./Memorial). PSU added two runs in top of the fourth on a two-run homerun sophomore Jackie Digman (Burlington, Mass.) and five more runs in the top of the fifth to seal the win. Digman's homerun was her team leading fifth of the season.
PSU sophomore Nora Galvin (Windham, N.H.) improved to 7-6 on the season holding the Huskies to four hits over four innings. Galvin had three strikeouts and one walk. USM senior Caitlin LeBorgne (Scarborough, Maine) allowed 12 hits in five innings of work. She gave up 10 earned runs and had two strikeouts in four walks.
In the second game, freshman Cynthia Barata (New Fairfield, Conn.) fired seven solid innings to earn the 6-0 shutout victory. Barata held a no-hitter through five innings and allowed just three hits for the game.
The Panthers again struck early taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. PSU tallied two runs on two hits while taking advantage of a USM error. Jackson led the way with a lead off single and then stole second. She then came around to score on a throwing error from second base for the Panthers' first run. Senior Allie Luisi (North Kingstown, R.I.) drove in the first of two RBI on the game with an sacrifice fly to left field to account for the second PSU run.
Plymouth State led 3-0 after the third and scored three more runs in the top of the fifth to out-distance USM. Luisi had an RBI double, while Hebert added an RBI single.
Southern Maine travels to Keene State College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) for a Little East Conference doubleheader. Plymouth State travels to Framingham State on Thursday (3:30 p.m.) for a non-conference doubleheader.
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