CLERMONT, Fla.   – Junior Brooke Cross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBI, and sophomore Alexis Brown (Malden, Mass.) picked up her second win of the season in the circle as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the University of Northwestern (Minn.) 7-2 in its first game of the day to earn the split.  The Huskies fell to Trinity (Conn.) in five-innings 13-5 in its second game.

            With the split Southern Maine is now 2-4 on the season.  Trinity improves to 6-2, while Northwestern dips to 6-7. 

GAME ONE: SOUTHERN MAINE 7, NORTHWESTERN (MINN.) 2

            Cross cranked out her first home run of the season in the bottom of the first to knock in two of her three RBI of the game to spot the Huskies the early lead.  Southern Maine scored all of its runs in the first with two outs.  Senior Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) created the scoring opportunity, drawing the two-out walk before Cross connected on the fourth home run of her career.  

            With Brown controlling the circle and firing a clean sheet through five full, Southern Maine tacked on a run in the bottom of the third and in the bottom of the fifth to lead 4-0.  Senior Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) singled in a run in the third, while Cross connected for another two-out RBI with a single to center field to score senior Taylor Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy). 

            Northwestern cut into the Huskies' lead with a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI double from Ellie Ronning, but Brown responded getting the final two outs of the inning to halt the threat.   Leading 4-1 headed to the bottom of the sixth, USM extended its lead with three runs.  Freshman Hannah Kenney (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) singled in the first run with a shot to left field, while Lux drove a sacrifice fly into right.  Kelly drove in USM's final run of the inning, and the game, with an RBI single to left field to plate Kenney.

            Down to its final at bat, Northwestern used an RBI single from Mindy Forcier to trail the Huskies by five runs, before sophomore Rebecca Ackerson (Whitefield/Hall-Dale) came on in relief of Brown to seal the win getting the final out. 

            Brown pitched 6.2 innings to earn the win, scattering seven hits and two walks.  Striking out four, Brown allowed both earned runs.  Northwestern's Abbie Nelson took the loss, pitching five innings. Nelson allowed seven hits and two walks for four earned runs. Taylor Telecky pitched one full inning allowing three earned runs on five hits.

            Southern Maine collected 12 hits in the win.  Lux, Kelly and Cross each had two hits for the Huskies. 

GAME TWO: TRINITY (CONN). 13, SOUTHERN MAINE 5 (5 innings)

            Trinity scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to earn an five-inning win over the Huskies.  The Bantams racked up 14 hits over the Huskies, including three home runs.  Erica Merullo, Courtney Erickson and Meaghan Race each connected for home runs for Trinity.  Erickson finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, while Merullo also went 3-for-4 with double, a home run and one RBI. 

            Trinity's Rachael Smith earned the win in five innings, allowing seven hits and four walks.  Smith yielded five runs (one earned) and struck out five.  Southern Maine starter sophomore Madison Greene took the loss.  She allowed six earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 3.1 innings.  Greene struck out seven before being replaced by Ackerson.  Ackerson pitched 0.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits.  Haeli Campbell came in on the bottom of the fifth, and got one out, allowing five earned runs on three hits, and walks.

            Kelly, Cross and Kenney each had an RBI for Southern Maine and went 1-for-3.  Sophomore Erin Martin (Biddeford, Maine) was 2-for-2 with a single and a double. 

            Southern Maine returns to action on Friday against Rutgers-Newark (9:00 a.m.) and Bethel (Minn.) (11:00 a.m.).