KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The University of Southern Maine Huskies earned their first win of the season, 1-0 over North Park University Vikings in the first of two games on Thursday at The Spring Games played at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. Junior
Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) went the distance in the win over North Park with a season-high nine strikeouts. Against Loras College, Southern Maine dropped a heart-breaker 1-0 in 10 innings to the Vikings.
THE BASICS:
Game 1 - Records:
North Park (2-5-1)
Southern Maine (1-4)
Score: Southern Maine 1, North Park 0
Game – 2 Records:
Southern Maine (1-5)
Loras College (5-3)
Score: Loras 1, Southern Maine 0 – 10 innings
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. North Park
Winning Pitcher: SM,
Lauren Merrill (1-2), 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts.
Losing Pitcher: NP, Alyssa Malicki (1-3), 6.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. Loras
Winning Pitcher: LC, Ashlyn Hemm (3-1), 10.0 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 14 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: SM,
Belle Snyder (0-3), 3.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run (0 earned), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. North Park:
- Merrill started the game picking up three consecutive outs including a pair of strikeouts and then limited the Vikings to just six singles to pick up the shut out win. Senior Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) was 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.
- After a scoreless three innings, North Park got on the board first to lead 1-0. Eden Baker led off with a single through the left side, before Maddy Tan singled up the middle. Merrill earned the second out of the inning with her second strikeout of the fourth, before Emily Reczek singled up the middle for an RBI and the lead. The Huskies ended the inning with a fly out to center field.
- Southern Maine responded in the home half of the inning with two runs. Scott and Merrill went for back-to-back singles, and sophomore Meghan Dufrense (Mattapoisett, Mass./Old Rochester Regional) walked to load the bases. Freshman Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass.) drove in the first run of the inning for the Huskies with a sacrifice fly, before USM went up 2-0 on a North Park fielding error.
- USM tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fifth as Scott collected her third hit of the game with an RBI single up the middle. Scott scored junior Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) who led off the inning with a single, and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt.
- Up 3-1, Merrill worked her way around a pair of Husky fielding errors in the sixth, and picked up her ninth strikeout of the game in the seventh for the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Loras College:
- Loras pitcher Ashlyn Hemm struck out 14 batters and pitched 10 scoreless innings to lead the DuHawks to victory in an excellent pitchers' duel.
- Southern Maine pitchers freshman Lexus McIntosh and junior Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) combined to hold Loras to one run on seven hits and four walks while striking out 10. McIntosh got the start and went 6.1 innings, scattering six hits and two walks while striking out six. Snyder was the hard-luck loser in relief pitching 3.1 innings allowing one unearned run on a hit and two walks, while fanning four.
- Loras broke through for the win in the bottom of the 10th. With a runner on second in tie-breaker rules, Loras loaded the bases with a walk, and an infield single after one out. Snyder picked up the second out getting a line out to second before Jaydn Anderson drew a walk for the RBI and the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Merrill's nine strikeouts are the second highest total of her career, but highest seven inning total. She struck out 12 in an 11-10 13-inning win over Saint Joseph's College on March 30, 2022.
- Both Snyder and Scott finished the two games 4-for-7 at the plate.
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine returns to action on Friday, March 17. The Huskies face Hamline University and Amherst Collee at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm respectively.
-cac-
