Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 GORHAM, Maine – Junior Katie Davis (Woburn, Mass.) was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a homerun to help the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a Little East Conference doubleheader split with the UMass Boston Beacons Tuesday afternoon at Towers Field in Gorham, Maine. The Huskies defeated the Beacons 2-1 in an opening game nail-biter, while UMass Boston pounded out 15 hits to earn the split with an 11-6 win in the second game.
With the split USM improves to 4-30 overall and 2-8 in the Little East. UMass Boston stands at 15-15 and 3-9 in the conference.
In the opener the Huskies used smart base-running from sophomore Annie Mitchell (Gorham, Maine) and a sacrifice fly to center field from sophomore Kayla Kennedy (Windham, Maine) to edge the Beacons 2-1.
Mitchell gave the Huskies an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a heads up base-running effort. After leading off with a walk, Mitchell snagged two bases with her smart and swift base running on a sacrifice bunt down the third base line from senior Caitlin LeBorgne (Scarborough, Maine). Mitchell completed the play coming around to score on an errant throw for the Huskies' first run.
The Beacons quickly tied the score up at one run each when freshman Amanda Perry (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Technical) hit the first of her two homeruns on the day. Perry's shot over the right field fence was her team-leading 10th of the season and came with the Beacons on two outs.
The score remained deadlocked at 1-1 through the five and a half innings, before the Huskies' notched the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. LeBorgne led off the inning with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a passed ball. After a fielder's choice play that held LeBorgne at third, Kennedy hit a long fly ball to the outfield plating LeBorgne for the 2-1 lead.
USM junior Stefanie Stockwell (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) held the Beacons scoreless in the top of the seventh to earn the win. Stockwell scattered five hits over seven innings allowing one earned run in the win. She had six strikeouts and allowed just one walk. Freshman Michelle Zullo (Everett, Mass.) took the loss for the Beacons allowing one earned run on six hits and four walks. She struck out three.
In the second game, batting second, third and fourth respectively the combo of senior Lisa Polsonetti (Revere, Mass.), junior Sue Killilea (Abington, Mass./Archbishop Williams) and Perry combined for eight of the Beacons 15 hits and all nine RBIs to lead the Beacons to victory.
Polsonetti for 3-for-5, including a double and a homerun, with four RBI and three runs scored. Killilea was 3-for-5, with a triple, for two RBI and three runs scored, while Perry was 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored, including her second homerun of the doubleheader and team-leading 11th of the season.
The Huskies showed firepower of their own, as Davis was 3-for-3 with one RBI and three runs scored in the nightcap, including her second homerun of the season. Junior Cara Radino (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley Regional) cranked out her first collegiate homerun, while Mitchell had a double and two RBIs.
UMB senior Kara Willis (Burrilville, R.I.) earned the win for the Beacons. Willis allowed three earned runs on 11 hits. She struck out six and allowed two walks. Stockwell, who fired the Huskies first four innings, took the loss allowing six earned runs on nine hits. She did not yield a walk and struck out two.
Southern Maine hosts Colby College in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday (4:00 p.m.). UMass Boston travels to Western Connecticut State for an LEC doubleheader on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).
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