BIDDEFORD, Maine –  Junior Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) earned the win in game one, and went 4-for-9 at the plate over two games, driving in three runs and scoring two to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a non-conference doubleheader sweep of the University of New England Nor'easters Sunday afternoon at Nor'easter Diamond. 
 
The Huskies outscored UNE 20-4 over the two games, winning game one 10-0 in five innings.  The Huskies took game two 10-4.  USM had 13 hits in the opener and 15 hits in game two. Senior Hannah Shields (Bucksport, Maine) was 4-for-7 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI, while sophomore Meaghan Dufresne (Mattapoisett, Mass./Old Rochester Regional) also had four hits, finishing the doubleheader 4-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI.    
 
THE BASICS:
Game 1 - Records:
Southern Maine (3-8) 
University of New England (2-11)
Score: USM 10, UNE 0 – 5 innings
 
Game – 2 Records: 
Southern Maine (4-8)
University of New England (2-12)
Score: USM 10, UNE 4
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. UNE – Game 1
Winning Pitcher:  SM, Lauren Merrill (3-3), 5.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: UNE, Mia Micucci (0-4), 3.0 IP
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. UNE – Game 2
Winning Pitcher:  SM, Belle Snyder (1-5), 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: UNE, Micucci (0-5), 4.1 IP, 9 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. UNE Game 1:

• Merrill spun a gem, holding the Nor'easters to just one hit – a lead off single in the second inning – to earn the shutout.  She struck out four and forced 10 ground outs.
• USM took a 1-0 lead in its first turn at the plate. After a leadoff walk was issued to junior Madison Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills), and a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, Merrill drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single up the middle.
• The score remained 1-0 through the second inning before the Huskies put up four runs in the third to lead 5-0. USM scored all four of its runs in the third after two outs.  Shields started the rally with a walk, and moved to second on a single through the left side from Dory Kulis (Georgetown, Maine/Morse).  Dufresne drove in Shields with a single up the middle for the second of four consecutive hits for USM. Husky freshman Kendall Migliorini (Salem, N.H.) had a two-run RBI double to the gap in left, while junior Makena Mulcahy (Auburn, Mass.) added an RBI through the left side for the 5-0 lead.
• Merrill continued her strong performance in the circle retiring the side in order in the bottom of the third, and USM added four more runs in the top of the fourth to go up 9-0.  
• Dufresne and Migliorini each had an RBI in the fourth as the Huskies had three hits and took advantage of two UNE errors in the inning.
• Retiring the side in order again in the bottom of the fourth, Merrill made it 10-0 in the top of the fifth with single to drive in Day – who led off the inning with a double.  In the bottom of the fifth, Merrill forced three ground outs and completed the five-inning win. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. UNE Game 2:

• Tied up at 1-1 through four innings, Southern Maine exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth to take control of the game 8-1.  The Huskies combined for eight hits in the pivotal inning, including a pair of doubles from senior Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) and Day. The Huskies opened the inning with four consecutive hits including singles from senior Lauren Miller (St. George, Maine/Camden Hills Regional), Merrill and Shields.  Scott started the run-scoring inning with a bases clearing double to left for three RBI.
• With one out and a runner on third, Kulis singled up the middle to make it 5-1, before junior Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) reached on a bunt single to make it runners on first and second and one out.  Day doubled in Kulis and moved Snyder to third for a 6-1 lead.  Freshman Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass.) completed the rally with a pinch hit single to right for two RBI to score Day and Snyder, giving USM an 8-1 advantage.
• UNE scored twice in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI triple from Emma Koenig and an RBI ground out from Lindsay Joyal, but the Huskies answered with two more runs in the top of the seventh for a 10-3 lead. Merrill continued her strong day at the plate with an RBI single to center, while Shields hit a run-scoring single of her own.
• In the bottom of the seventh, UNE's Abby Miner had a two-out RBI single to make it 10-4, but Snyder bounced back for an infield out to end the inning and earn the win.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• After giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the second in game one, Merrill retired 12 consecutive batters in the win.  It marked her 20^th career win, and puts her at 11^th in USM career records. She is 20-8. She has 135 career strikeouts.
• Bezanson is 2-for-4 as a pinch hitter this season. She collected her first career-hit as a pinch hitter against No. 9 Bethel, and earned her second pinch hit against UNE.  She has seven RBI.

 
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine hosts Western Connecticut State on Saturday, April 1 (12:00 pm) in its Little East Conference and home opener. The Huskies and the Wolves will play twice in a doubleheader.
 
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