GORHAM, Maine – Sophomore Lexus McIntosh (Lancaster, N.H./White Mountains Regional) picked up both wins in the circle, and sophomore Kendall Migliorini (Salem, N.H.) had a three-run walk-off home run in game one as the University of Southern Maine Huskies swept the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans 7-6 and 3-1 in a Little East Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at the USM Softball Stadium.
 
McIntosh improved to 7-2 on the season with the two wins, while Migliorini finished the day with five RBI and two runs on a 2-for-5 effort, including a double and a home run.  Senior Madi Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 and a perfect 13-for-13 from the field at shortstop.  Junior Abby Miner (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) was 3-for-8 with a run scored and two doubles. 
 
Series Record:
Today's doubleheader marked the 12^th and 13^th meeting between the Huskies and the Spartans.  Southern Maine leads the overall series 11-2, and has won seven of the last eight. In 2023, Southern Maine defeated the Spartans 7-5, 10-6 on the road on April 30.
 
Records:
GM 1 – Southern Maine vs VTSU-Castleton
VTSU-Castleton (9-7, 1-1 Little East)      002  100  3    6-8-0
Southern Maine  (13-4, 2-1 Little East)   030  000  4    7-9-1
 
Game 1 - Pitching Record:
WP:  Lexus McIntosh (6-2), 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
LP:   Madison Gould (5-3), 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
 
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine vs VTSU-Castleton
VTSU-Castleton (9-8, 1-2 Little East)
Southern Maine  (14-4, 3-1 Little East)
 
Game 2 - Pitching Record:
WP:  Lexus McIntosh (7-2), 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 Ks
LP:   Madison Gould (5-4), 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
 
 
 
How It Happened: Game One – Southern Maine 7, VTSU Castleton 6

• Leading 3-0 after the second inning on an RBI single from sophomore Mackenzie Renner (Alton, N.H./Prospect Mountain), an RBI double from Migliorini, and an RBI single up the middle from senior Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.), the Huskies found themselves tied at 3-3 after the fourth.
• Allie Almond spoiled the shutout with a two-run home run in the top of the third.  Masson Billert led off the inning with a single up the middle, and the Huskies were able to get two outs, before Almond made it a one-run game with a shot to center field.
• Billert tied the game up in the fourth with a single to center.  Abby Rogers led off the inning with a single to right and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before Billert's hit tied the game. 
• USM stranded a runner at third in the bottom of the fourth, and was unable to take advantage of a lead-off double from Miner in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game all tied up.
• After both teams threatened for runs in the sixth, with runners in scoring position, the Spartans looked to steal the game away in the top of the seventh with three runs.  Abby Hacker led off with a single to center, and moved to third with a one-out double from Brianna Belisle.  After a walk was issued to Samera Rideout to load the bases, Rogers walked in the go-ahead run for an RBI.  USM entered McIntosh in relief, and the Spartans took advantage of an error on what would have been the second out of the inning to lead 5-3.  A strong fielding and throwing play from Day to Renner prevented a run on the next Spartan at bat cutting down the runner at home for the second out, but a dropped third strike passed ball gave the Spartans their third run of the inning and a 6-3 lead. Still facing bases loaded, McIntosh got the final out with a ground ball.
• Facing a three-run deficit, Southern Maine's Olivia Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) drew a lead off walk and then scored on an RBI double from senior Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.).  Spartan reliever Madison Gould bounced back to get the next two outs on a pop up and a strikeout out sandwiched around a hit-by-pitch to make it runners on first and third with two away.  Down to their final out, the Huskies walked off the game as Migliorini hit a three-run bomb to center for the 7-6 final.

 
How It Happened: Game Two – Southern Maine 3, VTSU Castleton 1

• McIntosh fired a seven-inning game in game two, holding the Spartans to just one earned run on four base hits, while striking out six.
• After a quiet first, USM took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second manufacturing a run on two hits, and a Spartan error. Senior Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine) reached on an one-out bunt and moved up to third on a single to right from senior Makena Mulcahy (Auburn, Mass.) before coming around to score on a fielding error.
• USM loaded the bases on a lead off double from Miner, a bunt single from Levasseur and a one-out single to shallow left from Day to start a two-run bottom of the third.  Migliorini drew a walk to pick up the RBI, and Renner had an infield single for another RBI and a 3-0 Husky lead.
• The Spartans scored their lone run of the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Abby Rogers, but McIntosh closed the game out strong working around a single in the sixth, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning, and retired the Spartans in order in the seventh with three consecutive ground outs for the final.

 
 
Inside the Stats

• With four hits in today's doubleheader (two in each game), Day has hit safely in eight consecutive contests for the Huskies. She is hitting .453 (24-for-53) with 12 RBI.
• Migliorini's home run is the second of her 2024 season, and of her career.
• As a team, Southern Maine is hitting .334.  Six players have at least 10 RBI led by 14 from Scott.  Miner and Levasseur each have 13.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine is on the road for back-to-back doubleheaders.  The Huskies travel to Keene State College on Tuesday, April 16 (3:00 pm) for a Little East Conference doubleheader, and then will face Bowdoin College in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday (4:00 pm).  USM returns home on Saturday, April 20 (1:00 pm) against Rhode Island College in LEC action.
 
 
 
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