Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Juniors Samanatha Crosman (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) and Shelby Obert (Norridgewalk, Maine/Skowhegan) combined for eight hits, seven runs batted in and six runs scored to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a pair of wins Monday afternoon at the Foundation Academy Fields. Southern Maine defeated the Worcester State University Lancers 11-10 in its opener and then downed the St. Lawrence University Saints 7-1 to close out the day.
With the pair of wins, Southern Maine earns its third consecutive win and improves to 5-1 overall. Worcester State fell to 1-2 with the loss to USM. St. Lawrence had its two-game win streak halted and evened out its record to 3-3 with the loss.
GAME ONE: Southern Maine 11, Worcester State 10
Obert crushed a two-out walk off RBI double to right center field to deliver the Huskies an 11-10 win in a back-and-forth battle with the Lancers. The game-winning RBI was Obert's third of the game as she finished 3-for-5 at the dish with three RBI and two runs scored.
Southern Maine jumped on top of WSU 5-1 after one inning, scoring its five runs on three hits and one WSU error. Obert drove in two of USM's runs in the first, with a single to right-center field. WSU roared right back into the game with six runs in the top of the second to take a 6-5 lead, collecting six hits in their second turn at the plate. Seniors Taylor Daniels (Narco, Calif./Santiago) and Sara Pelletier (Leominster, Mass.) each drove in runs with RBI singles to start the WSU rally, and then came around to touch home plate on a three-run home run from junior Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional).
The score remained in favor of WSU 6-5 through the top of the third before USM senior Mary Caron (Lewiston, Maine/St. Dominic's Academy) pulled the Huskies even with a lead off home run to center field to start the bottom of the third. WSU again answered grabbing an 8-6 lead in the top of the fourth on hits from junior Mary McKeown (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Daniels and an RBI single from Despres.
The Huskies remained behind WSU and trailed 8-7 after the fifth inning following an RBI single through the left side from Allison Pillar, before jumping ahead 10-8 in the bottom of the sixth. After sophomore Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) was hit by a pitch, classmate Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) and Obert went back-to-back with singles to load the bases. Caron then drove in the Huskies' first run of the inning a with an RBI ground out, before Caron belted out a two-run double to the left field gap plating Obert and Davis.
Trailing 10-8 in the top of the seventh, WSU pulled even with the Huskies on an error and an one-out, two-run single from junior Kayla Humphrey (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan). With Humphrey in scoring position following the error, the Huskies were able to work around another base hit to get the final two out of the inning and head to the bottom of the seventh tied at 10 runs each.
After an infield out, Kelly cracked a double to left field to put herself in scoring position for the Huskies, before Obert smacked the game-winning hit. USM freshman Crystal West (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) earned the win in the circle, pitching three innings of relief. West allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks. West came in for the Huskies in relief of starter Kelly who allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits. Humphrey, who relieved WSU starter senior Marissa Avanzato (Pittsfield, Mass./St. Joseph Central) in the first inning, took the loss allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and a walk. She is 1-1 on the season Avanzato gave up five earned runs on three hits and two walks.
GAME TWO: Southern Maine 7, St. Lawrence 1
Freshman Sammi Goode (Bucksport, Maine) pitched her way to her first collegiate win scattering five hit and a walk over seven innings. Goode picked up eight strikeouts in the win.
The Huskies got on the board early as Davis drove in USM's first run of the game in the top of the first with an RBI double up the middle and the Huskies' never looked back en route to the 7-1 win.
Ahead 2-0 through four inning, Southern Maine broke open the game with five runs in the top of the fifth. The Huskies started the inning off with three straight singles from freshman Brittany Plowman (Portland, Maine/Scarborough), sophomore Taylor Lux (Arudel, Maine/Thornton Academy) and Kelly and scored runs on a pair of RBIs from Caron and one from Crosman. The Saints got one run on an RBI single from sophomore Kylee Knight (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) in the bottom half of the fifth, but that was it as Goode remained in control.
Southern Maine returns to action on Tuesday morning for a pair of games. The Huskies will face Washington & Jefferson at 9:00 a.m. and then will play Salve Regina at 11:00 a.m.
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