GORHAM, Maine  –  Junior Kaitlyn Nelson (Guildhall, Vermont/White Mountain Regional) stroked a walk-off RBI double to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 7-6 win in game one of a Little East Conference doubleheader with No. 3 Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors Sunday afternoon at the USM Softball Stadium.  Eastern Connecticut came back to win game two 6-3.
           With the win in game one, Southern Maine earned its 15^th consecutive victory establishing a new program record for wins in a row – the former program record of 14 straight wins was set during the 1987  season:  March 31, 1987 (Wisconsin-Green Bay) through April 24, 1987 (Bowdoin College).    
            The split has USM at 25-2-1 on the season and 11-1 in the Little East Conference.  Ranked third in nation in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, Eastern
Connecticut is 22-2 and 10-2 in the LEC.
 
The Records:
Eastern Connecticut  (22-2, 10-2 LEC)
Southern Maine (25-2-1, 11-1 LEC)
 
GAME ONE: Southern Maine 7, Eastern Connecticut 6

• Trailing 6-5 headed to the bottom of the seventh, Southern Maine rallied for two runs on three hits to secure the game one win.  Sophomore Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine) led off the inning with a double to left and was followed by a one-out single from freshman Madison Day (Otisfield, Maine) to put runners on first and third.  Senior Samantha Hauck (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning Painted Post) tied the game with an RBI ground out making it 6-6 with a runner on second and two outs.
• Day moved to third on a stolen base and senior Erin Martin (Biddeford, Maine) walked to again set up a first and third situation before Nelson double to left scoring Day for the walk off.
• USM took the early lead, 2-0, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, but he Huskies trailed Eastern 5-2 after four innings as the Warriors erupted for five runs in the fourth.
• ECONN scored five runs on back-to-back two-run doubles from junior Laura Zenk (Hermon, Maine) and senior Alexis Tyrell (Torrington, Conn.), and an RBI sacrifice fly to left field from sophomore Taylor Darby (South Windsor, Conn.). 
• Sophomore Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) took one back for USM in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring senior Ashley Tinsman (Cape Elizabeth, Maine). Tinsman led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a single from Shields making in 5-3.
• ECONN answered right back in the sixth making it 6-3 on an RBI ground out from Zenk.
• The Huskies kept the Warriors off the board in the top of the seventh with some solid defensive play.  After junior Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.) led off with a double, she was caught in a double play when Shields made a running grab in center field off of a line out from junior Carley Stoker (Sandy Creek, N.Y.) and picked off Matyasovsky with the help of Day covering second base.  Day then ended the inning snagging a line out to short off of the bat of senior Megan Hodgdon (Cheshire, Conn.)
• USM graduate student Kirsten Pelletier (West Gardiner, Maine/Messalonskee) earned her 10^th win of the season pitching seven innings. She allowed six earned runs on eight hits and a walk and struck out five. 
• Stoker, the ECONN starter, pitched six innings before giving way to Matyasovsky. Stoker allowed six earned runs on eight hits and six walks.  Matyasovsky was saddled with the loss giving up one earned run on two hits and a walk in 0.2 innings.

 
GAME TWO: Eastern Connecticut 6, Southern Maine

• Matyasovsky came back to win game two in the circle for the Warriors improving to 11-2 on the season.  Firing seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk, while striking out three. Backing up her own pitching performance at the plate, Matyasovsky was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI, including her conference leading 12^th home run of the season.  
• With the game knotted up at 1-1 after two innings, the Warriors scored two in the top of the third and added three more in the seventh to lead 6-1 as Matyasovsky kept USM scoreless.  Hodgdon gave ECONN the lead in the third with a two-run double to center field, scoring Stoker and Tyrell. 
• In the seventh, Tyrell had an RBI single, and Matyasovsky cranked a two-run, two-out homer.
• USM scored two runs on two outs in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single from senior Alexis Brown (Malden, Mass) and an RBI single through the left side from junior Brynn Hink (Porter, Maine), but the Warriors got the final out to keep the win.
• Brown suffered her first loss of the season in the circle for USM. Brown allowed six runs, all earned, on nine hits and three walks. She is now 9-1. 

 
Inside the Stats:

• Brown finished the doubleheader 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI. She had a double and a pair of walks.  Brown now has a team-leading 11 doubles, and is tied for second with 26 RBI with Scott.
• Martin was 4-for-8 with two runs scored and RBI. She had a pair of doubles and a walk. 
• Day was 3-for-6 with a run scored, including a double. 
• USM's 15 game win streak sets a program record.

 
Up Next:

• Southern Maine is scheduled to host Castleton University on Friday (2:00 pm) in a non-conference doubleheader.  Fans can follow online at southernmainehuskies.com and littleeast.tv/southernmaine
• Eastern Connecticut travels to Keene State on Tuesday (3:00 pm) for an LEC doubleheader.