Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 GORHAM, Maine – Junior Erin Miller (Waterford, Conn.) and freshman Samantha Valentine (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) each earned shut out victories in the circle to lead the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to a sweep of the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Towers Field. Miller earned an 11-0 five-inning win in the opening game, while Valentine picked up the 3-0 win in the second game.
Earning their fourth consecutive win, the Warriors improve their record to 25-11 and 11-3 in the Little East Conference. Eastern Connecticut will remain in action in the 2014 Little East Conference Tournament championship. Seeds and pairing have yet to be announced. Southern Maine concludes its season with a record of 14-21 and 2-10 in the Little East.
Miller held the Huskies to just three hits to improve to 10-4 on the season. Miller struck out four and did not yield a walk in the victory. The Warriors banged out 11 runs on seven hits to back up Miller's performance. Sophomore Alicia White drove in three runs. White smacked a two-out, two-run single to center field in the top of the first inning as the Warriors led early 3-0. Freshman Samantha Bardos (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) added two RBI.
In the second game, Valentine scattered four hits and three walks over 6.2 innings of work to improve to 7-2 on the season. Miller entered the game for the final out with the tying run on first to earn her third save of the season. Southern Maine senior Stefanie Stockwell (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) pitched well in the loss, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks in seven innings.
The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Sophomore Alyssa Hancock (Waterford, Conn.) led off the inning with a double to left field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before senior Mattie Brett (Waterford, Conn.) drove her in with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field. Eastern Connecticut plated the final two runs of the game in the top of the third, taking advantage of a Huskies' fielding error to score two unearned runs on well-executive sacrifice bunts from Brett and junior Sam Rossetti (Shelton, Conn.).
The Huskies threatened with a two-out rally in the top of the seventh. After a two-out walk was issued to pinch hitter Allison Pillar (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and a single from Stockwell gave the Huskies' runners on first and second, a wild pitch made it runners on second and third. Senior Cara Radino (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill) loaded the bases drawing a walk before Miller closed out the game with a fly out to left field.
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