KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The University of Southern Maine Huskies dropped a pair of games in their second day of competition at The Spring Games played at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. The Huskies fell to No. 9 Bethel University Royals 2-0 despite a strong pitching performance from Lauren Merill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) in their first game of the day. Against Farmingdale State, Southern Maine dropped the contest 7-3 after falling behind 4-0 in the first two innings.
THE BASICS:
Game 1 - Records:
Southern Maine (0-3)
No. 9 Bethel (8-2)
Score: No. 9 Bethel 2, Southern Maine 0
Game – 2 Records:
Farmingdale State (2-3)
Southern Maine (0-4)
Score: Farmingdale State 7, Southern Maine 3
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. Bethel
Winning Pitcher: B, Kayla Simacek (6-2), 7.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 13 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: SM,
Lauren Merrill (0-2), 6.0 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. Farmingdale State
Winning Pitcher: FS, Allie Stanya (2-1), 7.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: SM,
Belle Snyder (0-2), 2.1 IP, 5 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. No. 9 Bethel:
- Sophomore Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) pitched a strong game against the No. 9 Behtel University Royals but came up on the losing end. Merrill scattered seven hits over six innings, and struck out four.
- Bethel received a strong pitching performance as well from Kayla Simacek. Simacek went the distance for the Royals, striking out 13. She held USM to a pinch hit single from freshman Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass.).
- The Huskies turned a pair of double-plays in the contest. Both defensive plays were from junior short stop Madison Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) to senior 1B Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.).
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Farmingdale State:
- Farmingdale State scored two runs in the first and added two more in the second to take an early 4-0 lead. Priscilla Rivera led the attack for Farmingdale with a two-run double in the second; she finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
- Bezanson pushed the Huskies' first run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly RBI to right field.
- The Rams responded with two more runs in the top of the third with a pair of RBI infield singles from Stanya and Alyssa Cowen. Senior Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine) connected on the first of her two hits in the game in the bottom of the third lacing an RBI double to the gap in right to make it 6-2 in favor of Farmingdale State. Shields' double drove in Day, who reached safely with a single down the left field line.
- The score remained unchanged until the top of the sixth when the Rams made it 7-2 following an RBI ground out from Christina Rodriguez. Bezanson drove in her second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth to score the Huskies' third run of the game but it was all USM would score the rest of the way for the 7-3 final.
- USM freshman Lexus McIntosh (Lancaster, N.H./White Mountains Regional) pitched 4.2 innings of relief for the Huskies allowing one earned run on five hits. McIntosh struck out one and did not issue a walk in her first intercollegiate appearance.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Bezanson finished the two games 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI for the Huskies.
- Through four games, Shields is hitting .308 (4-for-13) with four RBI. Two of her four hits have gone for extra bases.
- Day was 2-for-4 against Farmingdale State and is hitting .308 for the Huskies as well. She now has 88 career hits for the Huskies.
UP NEXT:
After a day off, Southern Maine returns to action on Thursday, March 16. The Huskies will face North Park (9:00 am) and Loras (11:30 am).
-cac-
