Winners of three of their last four games, the Beacons improve their overall record to 12-19 on the season and earn their first two conference wins to stand at 2-8. The pair of losses drops the Huskies to 14-18 overall and 2-9 in the Little East.  The Huskies have lost their last three conference games by a total of three runs and have fallen in extra inning twice during that stretch.

In the opener, UMass Boston's Bove singled in the game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning to lift the Beacons to a 6-5 win over the Huskies. Bove's late inning heroics weren't the first of the game, as she drove in a pair of runs in the top of the sixth as part of the Beacons' three-run rally to rally from a 3-1 deficit and put her team ahead 4-3.

UMass Boston made it 5-3 in the top of the seventh with towering home run from freshman Gia Raczkowski (Stoneham, Mass.).  Raczkowski's solo shot over the left field fence was her fourth home run of the season.

Southern Maine rallied in the home half of the seventh to force the extra play.  Back-to-back singles from senior Cara Radino (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Regional) and freshman Samantha Crosman (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) gave the Huskies' runners on first and second with no outs.  A wild pitch moved Radino and Crosman ahead a base, before junior Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) drove in her 22nd run of the season with a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 5-4.  After a line out to left field for the second out, Huskies' freshman Danni Humphrey (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) tied it up with an RBI single up the middle to plate Crosman before the Beacons' got a ground out to end the inning. 

The Huskies got two outs in the top of the eighth but Bove's single made a lead off walk issued to junior Kelsey Svenson (Oxford, Conn.) count.  In the bottom of the eighth, USM freshman Samantha DiBiase (South Portland, Maine) lead off the inning with a single, but the Beacons responded.  After a pop-up for the first out, Beacon starter Michelle Zullo (Everett, Mass.) got the Huskies to line out into double play to end the game.

Zullo improved to 7-8 on the season allowing four earned runs on 11 hits in eight innings. She struck out two and did not give up a walk.  USM starter Stefanie Stockwell (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks.  Stockwell did not figure in the decision and was lifted for Benner in the eighth.  Benner took the loss falling to 4-8.

In the second game, UMass Boston scored four runs in the top of the second and then held on for the win.  Bove started the scoring for the Beacons in the second with an RBI double down the left field line. Senior Erika Vecchiet (Pequannock, N.J./Pequannock Township) made it 3-0 with a two-run single to center field, before the Beacons put on the double steal as freshman Kaitlyn Morse (Arlington, Mass.) took home for a 4-0 lead.

The Huskies' cut their deficit to two runs, 4-2, in the bottom of the third on a RBI sacrifice fly from Radino and an RBI single from Crosman.  After a quite fourth inning, the Huskies' attempted a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth.  With two down, Duross started the Huskies' with a double to right center field and then game around to score on an RBI single from Humphrey.  With the tying run at first Beacons' starter Jillian Shepherd (Norwood, Mass.) retired the final Huskies' batter on a infield pop up to earn the win.

Shepherd improve to 2-3 on the season. She allowed three earned runs on seven hits and a walk.  Benner took the loss allowing four earned runs on six hits and four walks to stand at 4-9.  She struck out four.

Southern Maine hosts Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference doubleheader.  UMass Boston travels to Salem State on Thursday (4:00 p.m.). 

–cac–