CLERMONT, Fla.   – Junior Brooke Cross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) stroked a pair of home runs, and senior Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) scattered five hits and three walks over five innings to earn the win in the circle as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Rutgers-Newark Scarlett Knights 14-4 in five innings in the first of the their two games on Friday.

            Southern Maine dropped its second game of the day 12-7 against Bethel.  With the split, Southern Maine is now 3-5 on the season.  Bethel is 7-7 with the win, while Rutgers-Newark suffered is second loss of the season to stand at 7-2. 

GAME ONE: SOUTHERN MAINE 14, RUTGERS NEWARK 4 (5 inn)

            Collecting 16 hits off of the Scarlett Knights in the win, Southern Maine jumped on top early as Cross launched a three-run home run in her first at bat in the top of the first as USM took an early 1-0 lead.   Sophomore Kayleigh Bohan (Bedford, N.H.) had an RBI triple in the inning. 

            USM went ahead 8-0 in the top of the third plating four more runs on Bohan RBI single, a sacrifice fly from sophomore Alexis Brown (Malden, Mass.), and an RBI single from freshman Katie Favaloro (Rockport, Mass.). 

            Rutgers-Newark took back three runs in the home half of the inning as Morgan Schweitzer singled in a run, and Morgan Walizer drew an RBI walk, but USM responded in the top of the fourth with another Cross home run, this time a solo shot to lead 9-3, before Huskies exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth.

            Senior Taylor Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) knocked her first home run of the season to start the fifth and drive in two runs, and was followed by an RBI single from freshman Hannah Kenney (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) and a two-run double from Brown.  Scoring five runs on six hits in the inning, the Huskies had control of the game 14-3 headed to the bottom of the fifth.  Kelly earned the win working her way around an infield error in the bottom of the inning for the 14-4 decision.

GAME TWO: BETHEL 12, SOUTHERN MAINE 7

            Bethel erupted for seven runs in the top of the sixth to overcome a 5-2 deficit to the Huskies, and went onto win 12-7 in a come-from-behind victory.  Bethel connected for 14 hits in the game including home runs from Jana Roste and Wendy Roberts.  Roste and Jamie Axelberg each drove in three runs, while Amanda Gemuenden knocked in two.

            Bethel's Hannah Schmidt earned the win, allowing six earned runs (seven total) over seven inning.  She yielded 12 hits and two walks.  Senior Courtney Davis went 3-for-4, while Lux, Martin and Cross each had two hits.  Cross was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.  Kenney collected her first intercollegiate home run to earn a pair of RBI.

            After a day off, Southern Maine will return to action on Sunday.  USM will face Washington & Jefferson at 9:00 a.m., and then Clarkson at 11:00 a.m. .