GORHAM, Maine  –  Senior Mackenzie Renner (Alton Bay, NH/Prospect Mountain) had a two-run double, junior Brianna Grenier (Cumberland, RI) and senior Ella Bezanson (Amesbury, Mass) each had an RBI as the University of Southern Maine Huskies rallied from a 7-4 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn an 8-7 win over the Saint Joseph's College Monks in game two of a non-conference doubleheader at the USM Softball Stadium Thursday evening. The Monks earned a 5-3 win in game one.
 
Records:
GM 1 – Saint Joseph's 5, Southern Maine 3
Saint Joseph's (5-8)                  000 500 0    5-6-1
Southern Maine (7-3)                000 100 2    3-11-0
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine 8, Saint Joseph's 7
Saint Joseph's (5-9)                  001 105 0    7-9-2
Southern Maine (8-3)                010 304 x    8-12-0
 
Pitching Records:
GM 1 – Southern Maine vs SJC    
WP: SJC, Miranda Northrup (4-3), 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
LP: SM, Mia Coots (4-2), 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
SV. SJC, Olivia Thomas (Sv, 1), 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
 
GM 2 – Southern Maine vs SJC   
WP:  SM, Mia Coots (5-2), 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP:   SJC, Olivia Thomas (0-2), 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
 
 
How It Happened: Game One

• With the game scoreless through three innings, SJC scored all five of its runs in the top of the fourth to earn the 5-3 win over the Huskies. Held to two base-runners (both via a walk) through their first three turns at bat, the Monks used a four-hit inning to jump ahead of the Huskies.  Sadie Tirrell led off with a single, stealing second before Jayden Sullivan picked up an RBI single to the gap in right for a 1-0 SJC lead.  Abbie Green-Sermak drew a walk, and Bella Napolitano singled to center field loading the bases with one out.  SJC scored four quick runs as Makayla Quintal struck for a grand slam and four RBI for a 5-0 lead before the inning came to an end.
• Southern Maine answered back with four hits and a run in the bottom of the fourth cutting its deficit to 5-1.  Freshman Emily Wheeler (Old Town, Maine) had an RBI infield single, scoring senior Kristina Yebba (Danvers, Mass.) who reached safely with a one-out single to left.   Sophomore Aislin Davis (Tewksbury, Mass.) and freshman Avery Moore (Dublin, NH) each had singles in the innings.
• Senior Mackenzie Kingsbury (Woodsville, NH), who entered the game in relief to get the final two outs of the top of the fourth fired a strong game in relief, retiring the Monks next nine batters before allowing back-to-back singles in the top of the seventh with one out.  However, Kingsbury battled back for the last two outs keeping the game at 5-1.
• Southern Maine rallied for two runs in its final turn at the plate. Wheeler doubled to lead off and senior Olivia Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) followed with a double of her own to make it 5-2.  After one out ,Grenier singled to right making it a two-run game 5-3.  The Huskies had runners on first and third following a single to left from Bezanson, but SJC reliever Olivia Thomas entered to get the final two outs and earn the save.

 
Game Two

• Southern Maine connected for 12 hits in game two, including four in the bottom of the sixth to win a see-saw game two.  
• The Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second scoring an unearned run.  Bezanson scored the Southern Maine run after reaching safely with a one-out single up the middle.  SJC came right back however to tie the game up at 1-1 in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly RBI to left from Kiera Gabric.  Gabric's fly out scored Quintal who started the inning with a double to left, and moved up into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt.
• SJC took a 2-1 run in the top of the fourth. Tirrell and Kryslin Stearns hit back-to-back singles putting runners on first and third, and Tirrell scored on a wild pitch.  With a runner in scoring position, the Huskies' picked off two would-be base stealers to end the inning, including a lengthy run-down for the third out.
• USM scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to leap ahead of the Monks, 4-2.  Collecting five hits in the inning, Yebba had an RBI single to left to tie the game, while senior Alana Delisle (Amesbury, Mass.) punched a two-run single through the left side for the go-ahead runs.  Bezanson, sophomore Ava Gerrish (Limerick,Maine/Massabesic), and Levassuer each had singles in the innings.
• After a quiet fifth inning from both sides, the Monks erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth. Tirrell led off with a solo home run to straight away center making it a 4-3 game. Quintal's two-run single put the Monks ahead 5-4, before Gabric followed with a two-out, two-run single of her own for the 7-4 Monk advantage. 
• With one out, Southern Maine strung together four consecutive hits, including back-to-back doubles from Grenier and Renner to rally.  Wheeler singled to the gap in left to start the Huskies, and Levasseur singled up the middle.  Grenier's double to center field made it a 7-5 game, scoring Wheeler, and Renner's double down the left field line tied the game up with two RBI scoring both Levasseur and Grenier.  Moving from second to third on a wild pitch, Renner scored the eventual game-winning run as Bezanson came through with the sacrifice fly to center.
• Husky sophomore Mia Coots (Newport, Maine/Nokomis) got the game two win in relief.  In the bottom of the seventh, Coots struck out both Tirrell and Stearns to get the first two outs before Eastman's ground ball rolled back into fair territory for an unassisted ground out at first for the win.

 
Up Next:
The Huskies are on the road at Little East Conference opponent Eastern Connecticut on Sunday, March 29 (12:00 pm).  
 
 
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