BIDDEFORD, MAINE –   Junior Lexus McIntosh (Lancaster, NH/White Mountains Regional) and freshman Mia Coots (Hartland, Maine/Nokomis) each turned in outstanding pitching performances in the circle, and junior Olivia Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) went 3-for-7 with three RBI as the University of Southern Maine Huskies swept the University of New England Nor'easters 10-2 and 5-0 in a non-conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Nor'easter Diamond.
 
McIntosh held UNE to four hits over seven innings without yielding a walk, and struck out five in a dominant performance in game one, while Coots earned her first intercollegiate shutout, striking out eight and limiting the Nor'easters to just three hits in seven innings.
 
Records:
GM 1 – Southern Maine 10, UNE 2
Southern Maine (3-8)                020  403  1    10-11-1                       
Univ. of New England (3-8)        002  000  0     2-4-0
 
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine 5, UNE 0
Southern Maine (4-8)                200  003  0     5-6-0                              
Univ. of New England (3-9)        000  000  0     0-3-2
 
Pitching Records:
GM 1 – Southern Maine vs. UNE
WP: SM, Lexus McIntosh (2-4), 7.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
LP:  UNE, Kara McDonald (1-2), 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine vs UNE
WP: SM, Mia Coots (2-4), 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
LP:  UNE, Cat Higgins (2-2), 5-1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
 
How It Happened: Game One – Southern Maine 10, UNE 2

• Southern Maine rapped out 11 hits against UNE in game one, including four for extra bases en route to its 10-2 opening win.  Juniors Alana Delilse (Amesbury, Mass.), Kendall Migliorini (Salem, Mass.) and Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass.) each had two hits for USM, with Bezanson collecting a pair of doubles and two RBI.
• After a scoreless first, the Huskies took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Sophomore Maddy Paradis (Salem, NH) led off the inning with a double to the gap in left, and Migliorini drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and third. With runners on, freshman Gwen Christie (Barnstead, NH/Prospect Mountain) also doubled to the gap in left for two RBI and a Husky lead. 
• After McIntosh retired UNE in order to end the second, the Huskies threatened for more run in the top of the third as Bezanson hit the first of her two doubles in the game but the Nor'easters got out of the jam with a double-play ball.  UNE used its momentum to score twice in the bottom of the inning to tie the score up at 2-2. Hannah Irons had a two-run double scoring Hannah Lappin and Grace Riva.  The Nor'easters had three hits in the inning and took advantage of a Husky error, but McIntosh ended the threat with a ground out.
• Southern Maine seized control of the game with a four-run fourth inning, collecting five of its 11 hits.  Freshman Taylor Takatsu (West Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner Area), and Migliorini went back-to-back for singles to lead off the inning before Delisle had an RBI bunt single to second base scoring Takatsu.  Bezanson made it 5-2 with a two run double to center field, scoring Delisle and Migliorini, while junior Mackenzie Renner (Alton, NH/Prospect Mountain) added sacrifice fielder's choice RBI to close the scoring at 6-2
• McIntosh fired a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth, and worked around a lead off double in the fifth to keep it 6-2. The Huskies struck for three more runs in the top of the sixth, including a two-run single from Levasseur, and an RBI single from Migliorini.  Up 9-2 and with McIntosh dominant in the circle retiring UNE in order in the bottom of the sixth, Southern Maine scored the final run of the game in the top of seven when Renner hit a sacrifice fly to right. McIntosh closed the game getting three straight outs, including a pair of strikeouts for the win.

 
 
Game Two -  Southern Maine 5, UNE 0

• Southern Maine scored twice with two outs in the top of the first to snag an early 2-0 lead over UNE.  Paradis had her second double of the doubleheader to the gap in left scoring senior Meaghan Dufresne (Mattapoisett, Mass./Old Rochester Regional) who reached on a Nor'easter fielding error.  And, Levasseur continued her clutch hitting with an RBI single to left field to score Paradis for the second run.
• After the Huskies two runs in the first neither team scored again until the sixth.  Coots was strong from the start working around a one-out single in the first, and getting two strikeouts in the second. In the third, Coots showed poise after giving up a one-out triple to Irons, bouncing back to get a strikeout and ground out to keep UNE off the board.
• In the bottom of the fourth, UNE pressed for a run again with a runner on third and one out as D Whitten led off the inning with a single for the Nor'easters, but Coots relied on solid Husky defense with a double play to end the inning.
• After a quiet fifth inning from both sides, Southern Maine scored three runs in the top of the sixth sealing the win.  With one away, Levasseur hit a single through the right side to get the Huskies a baserunner, and Migliorini smashed a double to the gap in right for a 3-0 score. After UNE hit a batter to give USM runners on first and second, freshman Hannah Garcia (Dartmouth, Mass.)  stroked a pinch-hit two-run double to the gap in left for a 5-0 Husky lead.
• Coots sealed the win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, and in the seventh Coots struck out three consecutive Nor'easters after giving up a lead-off walk to earn the win.

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine travels to Rhode Island College on Saturday (1:00 pm) for a Little East Conference doubleheader.  The Huskies will host Saint Joseph's College on Wednesday, April 5 (3:30 pm) in their home-opener for two games.  The Huskies remain at home and host Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 pm) for a Little East Conference doubleheader.
 
 
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