GORHAM, Maine  –  Junior Mackenzie Kingsbury (Woodsville, NH) fired 2.1 innings of outstanding relief to earn her first career Little East Conference win as the University of Southern Maine Huskies battled back from a 7-4 deficit to defeat the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs 8-7 in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at the USM Softball Stadium. 
 
Kingsbury held the Corsairs to just two hits (both singles) in her 2.1 innings of work with a walk and three strikeouts, giving the Huskies a chance to rebound offensively and salvage the conference split. Southern Maine dropped a closely played 4-2 decision in game one.
 
Junior Alana Delisle (Amesbury, Mass.) was 4-for-7 at the plate with a pair of doubles, two runs and two RBI for the Huskies, while juniors Kendall Migliorini (Salem, NH) and Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass.) were each 3-for-9 at the plate.  Migliorini had three RBI and a double, along with a run scored, and Bezanson had two RBI and two runs scored, including the game-winner in game two.
 
 
Records:
GM 1 – UMass Dartmouth 4, Southern Maine 2
UMass Dartmouth (20-14, 7-8 LEC)                                                   110 101 0    4-5-2
Southern Maine (18-17, 8-5 LEC)                                                      020 000 0    2-7-4
 
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine 8, UMass Dartmouth 7
UMass Dartmouth (20-15, 7-9 LEC)                                                   102 220 0    7-8-3
Southern Maine (19-17, 9-5 LEC)                                                      004 030 1    8-11-2
 
Pitching Records:
GM 1 – Southern Maine vs. UMD
WP: UMD, Edy Crawford (11-9), 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP:  SM, Lexus McIntosh (7-10), 7.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB,2 K
 
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine vs. UMD
WP: SM, Mackenzie Kingsbury (1-0), 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP:  UMD, Edy Crawford (11-10), 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 BB
 
 
How It Happened: Game One – UMD 4, USM 2

• Despite being out hit in the contest, the Corsairs were able to generate early runs with effective offensive and base-running to claim a 4-2 win in the opener.
• UMD took a 1-0 lead int eh first as Kina Takasugi led off the game with a single to second base and then stole second.  Moving up a base on a ground out, Takasugi then scored on a ground out to third base with an outstanding slide to beat the tag at the plate.
• The Corsairs made it 2-0 in the second on an RBI ground out from Sydney Menz.  Lily Routhier led off the inning with a single to center, and then stole second to move into scoring position.  A ground out to second pushed her to third before Menz's well-placed grounder allowed her to score.
• USM tied the game up in the home half of the second as Delisle doubled to the gap in left, and Bezanson had an RBI single to the same field.  Both of the Huskies' runs were unearned as the Corsairs committed a fielding error on the first batter.
• The score remained locked at 2-2 until the top of the fourth.  Olivia Silva reached on a lead-off single through the left side. Pinch runner, Olivia Ali, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before Lena Tsonis hit a single up the middle for an RBI. Tsonis was thrown out at second attempting to take second on the play at the plate. However, the Corsairs led 3-2 at the end of the inning.
• The Corsairs added an insurance run in the sixth as Routhier led off with a single up the middle, but was eliminated on a fielder's choice play.  With one on at first and one out, Menz reached on an error to give the Corsairs a pair of base runners.  The Huskies got another out but both UMD base-runners advanced a base before committing a costly fielding error to fall behind 4-2.
• With the exception of a batter reaching on an error, USM was unable to generate offense in the final two innings in the loss.

 
Game Two – USM 8, UMD 7

• The Huskies battled back from multiple-run deficits twice in game two to earn the critical 8-7 win over the Corsairs.
• Taking advantage of an early USM fielding error the Corsairs led 1-0 after the first on an RBI sacrifice fly to RaeLynn Perregaux, and then increased their lead to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the second. Liv Matos led off the third with a double, and then moved to third on a sacrifice play.  After a walk gave UMD two runners, Larissa Piessens connected on a sacrifice fly to right to score Matos, while Takasugi scored on a Husky throwing error on the relay.
• Southern Maine took the lead 4-3 the home half of the third.  After a fielder's choice play, an error and a singel up the middle from Delisle loaded the bases for the Huskies with one out, Migliorini drove a double to the gap in left to clear the bases and tie the game. With Migliorini on second, junior Mackenzie Renner (Alton, NH/Prospect Mountain) hit a double to the wall in center for a 4-3.  USM loaded the bases again on a pair of walks, but the Corsairs were able to get the final two outs before more scoring was done.
• USM's lead was short-lived as UMD scored twice in the fourth for a 5-4 advantage, including an RBI walk from Menza and a sac-fly RBI from Matos. USM looked to tied the game back up in the fourth with runners on second and third but the Corsairs got enough out of their defense to keep it a one-run lead.
• In the fifth, UMD extended its lead to 7-4 with a pair of extra base hits.  Piessens led off with a double to left, and Perregaux singled to shallow center.  With runners on first and second, the Huskies were able to get the first out of the inning, but a passed ball moved each runner up on the next play.  The Huskies nearly looked out of trouble as an infield pop up to short made it two outs, but Chaylin Cruz Salgado hit a line-drive into the gap in left for a doble and two RBI.
• Facing a three run deficit in the fifth, USM rallied for three runs on four hits, and a UMD error.  Junior Olivia Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) reached on a fielding error and senior Meaghan Dufresne (Mattapoissett, Mass.) single with a ball deep into shortstop for two on.  After a passed ball moved both runners up, sophomore Maddy Paradis (Salem, NH) drove in the first run with a sac fly to left scoring Levasseur.  Freshman Taylor Takatsu (West Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner Area) had a pinch-hit single to right to put runners on the corners for the Huskies before junior Kristina Yebba (Danvers, Mass.) singled to third to load the bases with one out. Bezanson made it 7-6 with an RBI grounder to second, before Delisle doubled down the left field line for a run, tying the game.  The Huskies nearly had the go-ahead run but a strong throw from left to the catcher caught Yebba trying to score.
• After entering the game to get the final out in the fifth, Kingsbury continued her strong performance in the sixth, getting UMD in order on a fly out to center, a strikeout and a grounder to third. In the Huskies' sixth, USM came up empty despite having a runner on third.
• In the seventh, Kingsbury got the first batter out on a looking strikeout. Giving up a pair of singles and a walk sandwiched around an infield fly, Kingsbury faced the Corsairs with the bases loaded and two outs. She was able to fight back and keep UMD off the scoreboard getting the final out via strikeout (swinging) to put the game into the seventh tied at 7-7.
• USM started the seventh with a lead off double from Yebba.  A single to shallow center had Bezanson reach safely, but a strong throw from center to third cut down Yebba for the first out of the inning.  Bezanson then moved up to third on a fielder's choice play. With one out, and runners on the corner, Migliorini hit a fly ball to shallowright.  Bezanson fake a tag, and lured the throw which was wide of the catcher, and Bezanson slid home for the win.

 
Up Next:
 Southern Maine closes out its regular season at home against WestConn in LEC play.  The Huskies will host the Wolves on Saturday, May 3 (12:00/2:00 pm) at the USM Softball Stadium.  The Huskies will celebrate Senior Day during the doubleheader.  
 
 
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