KISSIMMEE, Fla. –  Senior Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, including her first home run of 2023 to help propel the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 6-1 win over the Hamline University Pipers at The Spring Games played at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.  The Huskies dropped their second game of the day as the Amherst College Mammoths rallied for a 6-5 win.
 
THE BASICS: 
Game 1 - Records:
Hamline (6-4-1)
Southern Maine (2-5) 
Score: Southern Maine 6, Hamline 1
 
Game – 2 Records: 
Southern Maine (2-6)
Amherst College (8-2)
Score: Amherst 6, Southern Maine 5
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. Hamline
Winning Pitcher:  SM, Lauren Merrill (2-2), 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 run (0 earned), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: H, Sophie Stork (1-1), 4.1 IP, 7 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), 0 walks, 0 strikeouts.
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. Amherst
Winning Pitcher: AC, Dylan Briggs (2-0), 3.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts.
Losing Pitcher: SM, Belle Snyder (0-4), 2.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Hamline:

• The Huskies were up early, 3-0, after two innings after an RBI fielder's choice from Scott in the first and an RBI single to left from junior Madison Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills). 
• Junior Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) kept the Pipers off the board yielding just one hit and a walk through the first four innings.
• A lead off double from junior Dory Kulis (Georgetown, Maine/Morse) started a two-run bottom of the fourth as USM increased its lead to 5-0. With two on, following a hit batter, the Pipers got the first two outs of the innings and seemed ready to end the threat, but freshman Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass.) knocked a pinch-hit double to the gap in right field for two RBI.
• Hamline scored its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Jenna Rubbelke; however, junior Belle Snyder (Epping, NH) entered the game in relief of Merrill getting the final out.
• The Huskies' Scott took the run right back for USM in the home half of the fifth with a lead off home run to center field for a 5-1 lead.  Snyder kept Hamline off the board in its final two turns at the plate for the final.

HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Amherst College:

• The Huskies had four extra base hits, including career first home run for freshman Mackenzie Renner (Alton, N.H./Prospect Mountain) and led Amherst 5-0 after the top of the fifth inning.  Merrill, senior Hannah Shield (Buckfield, Maine) and freshman Kendall Migliorini (Salem, NH) each had RBI doubles over the first four and a half innings.
• Amherst started its rally in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs, to trail 5-3. The Mammoths took advantage of back-to-back fielding errors that would have ended the inning.  Megan Taketa drove in the first two runs with a double to left, and Autumn Lee added a third with an RBI single.
• After a scoreless top of the sixth, Amherst made it a one-run game on a two-out RBI single to center from America Rangel.  The Huskies were able to end the inning, catching Rangel attempting to steal second during the Mammoths next at bat.
• USM had a runner after a one-out pinch-hit walk was drawn by Kulis, but the Huskies were unable to get a runner around. In the seventh, Taketa led the rally with a one-out single that started a string of three singles, including tying RBI single from Lee. The Huskies defense took down one runner at home to make it two outs, but Jess Butler hit the walk off single for the win.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Freshman Lexus McIntosh (Lancaster, N.H./White Mountains) pitched well in her start against Amherst. She went 4.1 innings, allowing three hits and two walks.  All three runs against her were unearned. .

 
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine returns to action on Sunday, March 19.  The Huskies play a doubleheader against University of Wisconsin-Whitewater beginning at 9:00 am.
 
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