WILLAMANTIC, Conn.  – Senior Taylor Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) went 3-for-4, including a home run and a double, with three runs scored and an RBI to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 7-2 win over the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to split a Little East Conference doubleheader Saturday in Willamantic. Eastern Connecticut took game two, 5-2. 

            With the split, Southern Maine is 7-9 overall and 1-1 in the Little East.  The Warriors are 4-11 overall and 1-1 in the conference. 

GAME ONE: Southern Maine 7 , Eastern Connecticut 2

            Led by Lux, Southern Maine connected for nine hits, including five for extra bases.  Freshman Hannah Kenney (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs on a two-run home run.  Senior Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) also had a multiple hit day, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI, including a double.  

            Senior Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) led the Huskies in the circle, picking up four strikeouts, while scattering four hits over seven innings for the win. Kelly allowed one earned run in the complete game. Eastern Connecticut starter Morgan Bolduk took the loss. Bolduk went 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (all unearned) on six hits and a walk. Haleigh Cardello closed the game allowing two runs (both unearned) on three hits in 2.2 innings of work. 

            Connecting on 7 of 16 at bats with two outs, Southern Maine struck for three runs in the top of the first.  Kenney blasted a two-run home run, and was followed by a solo shot from Lux.  Kenney's home run was her third of the season and her career, while Lux hit for her second homer.  Eastern took two back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Sara Pisanelli, before Pisanelli came around to score on a stolen base and a Husky error. 

            The score remain unchanged until the top of the third when the Huskies put up another two runs.  Kelly helped her own cause in the third with a two-run single to right field.  Again with two outs, Kenney reached with a single, and Lux reached on an Eastern fielding error moving Kenney to third.  After a Lux stolen base, Kelly's single made the score 5-2.  Following a scoreless fourth, USM extended its lead to five runs, with a score of 7-2.  With another two-out showing, Lux doubled to left, and advanced to third as Kelly took first on a fielding error before Davis stepped in an hit a double to center field for two RBIs.  The double was the 29th of Davis' career, and puts her at eighth in USM career records. 

GAME TWO: Eastern Connecticut 5, Southern Maine 2

            Eastern Connecticut used four hits and took advantage of two Southern Maine errors en route to a four-run bottom of the second as the Warriors defeated USM 5-2 to earn the LEC split. 

            Kat Devolve went 1-3, including a double, with two RBI, while Bolduk was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Alexis Tyrrell and Jackie Lewis each had multiple-hit games.  Tyrrell was 3-4 with a run scored, while Lewis was 2-3. 

            Eastern Connecticut starter Jacky Arndt earned the win limiting the Huskies to just three hits over seven innings.  Arndt allowed two runs (one earned), gave up three walks and earned seven strikeouts in the victory.  USM sophomore Alexis Brown took the loss.  She allowed five runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks in 1.2 innings of work.  Sophomore Rebecca Ackerson (Whitefield, Maine/Hall-Dale) pitched well in relief, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and two walks. 

            Davis was 1-2 with an RBI double, while Kenney was 1-3 with two runs scored.  

            Southern Maine is schedule for its home-opener on Tuesday (3:00 pm) in a non-conference doubleheader with Husson University.   

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