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Box Score 2 GORHAM, Maine – Senior Jessica Hayden (Madison, Maine) crushed a bases clearing double in the bottom of the fifth inning to bolster a strong pitching performance from senior Jesse Hutchins (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) as the University of Southern Maine Huskies salvaged a split against the Western Connecticut State University Colonials in a Little East Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Towers Field in Gorham, Maine. Western Connecticut rallied for a nine-inning 8-7 win in the opener, while the Huskies picked up the 3-0 shut out victory in the second game.
With the split, Southern Maine picked up its first Little East Conference victory of the season to improve to 1-3 and 3-21 overall. Western Connecticut is now 9-15 overall and 3-1 in the Little East Conference. The Huskies' 3-0 win in the second game is the first win for USM over the Colonials since a 6-5 win in 2011 and just the 14th victory overall in the 51-game series.
With the score knotted up at 0-0 in the midst of a pitcher's duel, Hayden cranked out her second double of the game with the bases loaded to put the Huskies' ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Hayden's double was just inches short of being a grand slam as it hit off of the top of the fence and bounced back into Towers Field.
Needing just six out to secure its first victory in four games, Hutchins retired the Colonials in order in the top of the sixth. The Colonials threatened to rally for the second straight game in the top of the seventh. Hutchins put the first two Colonial batters on base with a hit-by-pitch and a walk, before getting her first out of the inning striking out freshman pinch hitter Alexandra Sabith (Meriden, Conn./Maloney). A single from senior Ashlie Morris (Wolcott, Conn.) loaded the bases for the Colonials, before Hutchins got sophomore Nina Wojkiewicz (Griswold, Conn.) to line out to the shortstop. Hutchins recorded the final out with her eighth strikeout of the game to earn the win.
Hutchins picked up her first win of the season scattering four hits and three walks over seven innings. Freshman Emily Cintorino (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Central) pitched well in the loss. Cintorino allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks over six innings.
In the opener, Western Connecticut rallied from a 6-2 deficit to defeat the Huskies. Down by four runs, Western Connecticut plated three runs (two earned) in the top of the fifth to pull to within a run of USM 6-5. Wojkiewicz had a RBI double to left field in the inning as the Colonials capitalized on two hits and a pair of Huskies' errors.
The Colonials scored the game-tying run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from freshman Michaela Roche (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) and then got a 1-2-3 inning from Sabith including a pair of strikeouts to force extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth, Western Connecticut got two runs in the top of the ninth to grab an 8-6 lead. The Colonials used two hits, an RBI ground out from Roche and a Huskies' error in the top half of the inning. In the bottom half, the Huskies' took back a run on an RBI single from sophomore Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy), but Western Connecticut bounced back with the final two outs of the inning to seal the win.
Sabith earned the win for the Colonials scattering five hits and four walks over six innings with nine strikeouts. All three runs against her were unearned. USM's Stefanie Stockwell (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) took the loss allowing four earned runs on nine hits and six walks in nine innings. She struck out six.
Hayden led the way for the Huskies with three RBI and two runs scored on a 2-for-4 effort at the plate. Senior Katie Davis (Woburn, Mass.) added two RBI.
Southern Maine returns to action Sunday (12:00 p.m.) hosting UMaine Presque Isle in a non-conference doubleheader. Western Connecticut hosts Keene State in an LEC doubleheader on Sunday (1:00 p.m.).
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