With the split, Southern Maine improve to 10-13 overall and 2-4 in the Little East Conference.  Rhode Island College stands at 9-17 and is even in the LEC at 3-3. 

Stockwell improved to 8-6 with the win.  She scattered a pair of hits over seven innings and allowed just one walk.  The Huskies' captain did not allow a runner passed second base the entire game.  She recorded three strikeouts bringing her total to 62 strikeouts on the season.  Two of Stockwell's three strikeouts came as the final two outs in the game.

Stockwell, freshman Samantha Crosman (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) and junior Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) each had two RBI for the Huskies.  Crosman was 2-for-4, while Duross was 3-for-4 with a double. 

The Huskies' came out firing from the get-go, with each of their first five hitters collecting a hit as part of a four-run first inning.  Husky junior Lily Cooper (Lamoine, Maine/Ellsworth) led off the inning with a double.  Senior Cara Radino (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill) and Crosman each followed with singles and Duross added a double to make it 2-0.  Stockwell then drove in a pair of runs with a double to right-center field for a 4-0 USM lead before the Anchormen used a trio of strong defensive plays to cut down lead runners for the final outs.

The Huskies added two more runs in the bottom of the third on RBIs from Crosman and Duross and tallied their seventh run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Allison Pillar (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle).

RIC starter sophomore Katelyn McCaughey (Warwick, R.I./Toll Gate) took the loss to fall to 0-4.  She allowed four earned runs on five hits and one walk before being lifted in the first inning.  Freshman Linsdey Cabral (North Providence, R.I.) pitched through four innings allowedin two earned runs on six hits and a walk, before game-one starter Michelle Sylvestre (Warwick, R.I./Veterans)  closed out the final two innings.  Sylvestre did not give up a run and allowed three hits.

In the opening game, the Anchormen plated six runs, all unearned, on five hits while taking advantage of a costly Huskies' fielding error.  RIC senior Stacey Pokora (Wilton, Conn.) made the Huskies' pay when she hit a two-out grand slam.  After Pokora's home run staked RIC a 4-0 lead, junior Justine Thoma (Canterbury, Conn./Woodstock) singled up the middle.  Freshman Lauren Duvall (East Greenwich, R.I.) drove in the fifth and sixth runs of the inning with a home run of her own. 

RIC stayed safely on top of the Huskies through the game and led 9-3 in the top of the seventh before the Huskies rallied in the bottom half of the inning. After a pair of walks and a single from Duross, freshman Danni Humphrey (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) drove in USM's first run of the inning with an one-out single through the left side.  RIC secured a fly out for the second out of the inning, before freshman Leanne Reichert (Portland, Maine) drove in two runs with a single to center field making it 9-6 Anchormen.  Southern Maine pulled to with two runs, 9-7, on an RBI single to right field from Radino, setting the Huskies up with runners at first and second with two down.  The Anchormen were able to get out of the inning, however, when senior pitcher Maria Darling (Ansonia, Conn.) caught a sharply lined ball to end the inning.

RIC starter Sylvestre earned the win.  Sylvestre allowed a pair of earned runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings.  Sylvestre struck out four.  USM freshman Desiree Benner (Friendship, Maine/Medomak Valley) fell to 2-7 with the loss.  Benner didn't allow an earned run in 2.2 innings pitched.  She gave up six hits and a walk.

Southern Maine hosts UMaine Presque Isle on Sunday (12:00 p.m.) in a non-conference doubleheader.  Rhode Island College hosts Western Connecticut State on Tuesday (5:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference doubleheader.

–cac–