Southern Maine has lost its last three games dropping its record to 15-11 overall.  With the sweep, the Eagles have won nine out of their last 10 games to improve to 12-8. 

Game One:

In the first game, Husson used a five-run fifth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and then held off a seventh-inning USM rally to hold on for the 7-5 win. Husson junior Sami Schultz (Hermon, Maine) drove in four runs to lead the Eagles, finishing the game 2-for-3 with a home run.

Husson senior Kayla Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Telstar Regional) picked up her sixth win of the season (6-3) allowing five earned runs on 11 hits and three walks, while striking out four.  Southern Maine freshman Erika Millett (Whitefield, N.H./White Mountains Regional) took the loss allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits and three walks.

Trailing 1-0 after three innings, Southern Maine took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on three hits and a pair of walks.  Junior Mary Caron (Lewiston, Maine/St. Dominic's) led off the inning with a single and then moved to second on a walk issued to freshman Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.).  Threatening for a big inning, Husson turned a double play on the next batter erasing Caron and batter senior Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy).  With two down and a runner on second, Husky rookie Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) hit an RBI double to center field to drive in the Huskies' first run of the game.  Another walk, this time to sophomore Samantha Crosman (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood), gave the Huskies runners on second and first with two down, before sophomore Allison Pillar (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle) doubled down the left field line to plate Kelly. 

The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Huskies through the four and a half innings before the Eagles rallied for a huge five-run inning in the bottom of the fifth. Husson scored all five of its runs with two outs.  Senior Chelsea Brennan (Woonsocket, R.I.) singled in the Eagles first run to even the score at 2-2, before Shultz cleared the bases for a four-run home run over the left field fence to put the Eagles ahead 6-2.

            A quiet top of the sixth kept the score 6-2 in favor of Husson before the Eagles added another run on a sacrifice fly RBI from junior Lyndsay Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Telstar Regional) in the bottom half of the inning to make it 7-2.  Trailing by five facing its final at bat, USM rallied for three runs on an RBI triple from Duross, an RBI single from Kelly and an RBI double from Crosman – all with two outs – but it wasn't enough as Merrill got the final out of the inning to secure the win.

Game Two:

Husson again used a big-run inning late in the game to take the second game 6-3.  Merrill and sophomore Casey Lopes (New Bedford, Mass./Greater New Bedford Vocational Tech) each had two RBI for the Eagles, who finished with 11 hits. Husson sophomore Alannah Healy (Brockton, Mass.) earned the win in the circle allowing three unearned runs on four hits and a walk.  Southern Maine's Kelly took the loss allowing four earned runs on five hits in relief.  Sophomore Desiree Benner (Friendship, Maine/Medomak Valley) pitched the first 4.2 innings allowing one earned run on six hits. 

Lopes gave Husson a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI double.  Merrill started the inning with a lead off single and advanced to second on a single from junior Allie Hill (Calais, Maine). Both runners advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt, before the Huskies made it two outs picking off Hill at second base, Davis to Caron. With a runner on third, Lopes double scored Merrill before USM ended the threat with a fly out. 

USM took a 2-1 lead in the third connecting on a pair of hits and taking advantage of a pair of Husson errors.  Davis scored the Huskies' first run on a fielding error after reaching safely with a single, while Kelly drove in the Huskies' second run with an RBI single.

Trailing 3-1 through five and half innings, the Eagles surged ahead of USM in the bottom of the sixth with five runs on four hits and one USM error.  Sophomore Nicole Andrade (New Bedford, Mass./Bishop Stang) had an RBI double to start the Eagles' rally and Merrill singles through the right side to drive in two more runs. Lopes plated the Eagles' final run of the inning with an RBI fielder's choice grounder.  Ahead 6-3, Healy retired the Huskies in order in the top of the seventh to seal the victory. 

Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.) in Little East Conference doubleheader at Plymouth State University. Husson hosts UMaine Farmington on Wednesday (3:00 p.m.) in a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader.

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