Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Sophomore Taylor Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) drove in four runs in the opener and sophomore Katelyn Tucker (Gray, Maine/Windham) threw a five-hit shut out in the second game to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a pair of wins in its season-opening games Friday afternoon at the Foundation Academy Fields in Winter Garden, Fla. Southern Maine defeated the Macalester College Scots 12-5 in its opener and then took down the Becker College Hawks 3-0 in its second game.
With the pair of victories, Southern Maine starts off its 2016 season with a 2-0 mark. Macalester dropped its sixth straight game to fall to 4-10 overall. Becker dropped to 2-7 with its loss to USM.
Game One: Southern Maine 12, Macalester 5
Southern Maine scored seven runs in the first inning taking advantage of two Macalester errors, five walks, two hit-batsman and a wild pitch to jump out in front of the Scots early. The first two USM batters – Lux and sophomore Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) - reached safely on fielding errors before sophomore Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) drew the first walk of the inning to load the bases. Juniors Shelby Obert (Norridgewalk, Maine/Skowhegan) and Samantha Crosman (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) each collected their first RBI of the season on a hit-by-pitch and walk respectively, and then Davis came around to score on a wild pitch for a quick 3-0 USM lead.
Trailing 3-0 with one out, Macalester lifted its starter sophomore Logan Tootie (Kansas City, Mo./Lee's Summit North) in favor of classmate Morghan Bean (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine), but the Huskies remained patient at the plate as senior Morgan Scavetta (Damriscotta, Maine/Lincoln Academy) and senior Kat McKay (Mechanic Falls, Maine/St. Dominic) each drew RBI walks. Batting through the lineup, Lux returned to the plate and sliced a two-run single up the middle to make it 7-0 USM.
Macalester took back two runs in the top of the second, making it 7-2, on RBIs from Abby Cox and G.G. Gunther and then trimmed the deficit to 7-3 with a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI double from Cox. However, the Huskies' answered in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double from Obert.
The Huskies and the Scots traded run for run in the fifth and the Scots made it a 9-5 game with a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI ground out from Gunther, but Southern Maine closed out the game with a three-run bottom of the sixth highlighted by another two-run single up the middle from Lux for a 12-5 lead.
Kelly earned the win for USM firing 5.0 innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Freshman Sammi Goode (Bucksport, Maine) closed out the game pitching the final two innings. Goode, who faced 10 batters, allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out two. Tootie took the loss for Macalester giving up three earned runs in 0.1 innings pitched. Tootie walked a pair of batters and did not yield a hit. Bean pitched the final 5.2 innings for the Scots allowing six earned runs on six hits and seven walks. She struck out two.
Southern Maine is off tomorrow and returns to action on Sunday. The Huskies will face Hamilton College (1:00 p.m.) and then take on Oberlin (5:00 p.m.).
Game Two: Southern Maine 3, Becker 0
Tucker struck out four and held the Hawks to just five hits over seven innings and Davis drove in a pair of runs to propel Southern Maine to 3-0 win over Becker. Tucker was outstanding in the circle and did not allow a runner past second base until the bottom of the seventh en route earning her first career win and shut out with the Huskies.
Scoreless until the top of the third, Davis put USM ahead 2-0 with a two-out triple to score Kelly and senior Mary Caron (Lewiston, Maine/St. Dominic's Academy). Both Kelly and Caron had reached safely with singles.
Ahead 2-0, Tucker retired Becker in order in the bottom half of the third. In the top of the fourth, USM scored its final run of the game on another triple, this time from McKay who plated junior Allison Pillar (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle). Pillar had reached safely with a two-out single to set up the McKay RBI.
From there, Tucker remained in control and the Huskies' defense held strong for the win.
–cac–
