Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England defeated the University of Southern Maine in non-conference softball action Tuesday afternoon (Apr. 10) at Claude Dubois Field, claiming the first of two games (3-2) with a late rally in the bottom of the 6th before posting a 7-0 decision in the nightcap.

Big Blue improves to 14-6 on the year, while the Huskies drop to 1-19 overall.

After a one, two, three inning for UNE senior Erin Lyons (Salem, N.H.) to begin game one, the Nor'easters jumped in front in the bottom of the 1st on an RBI-single by first-year Gabrielle LaRoche (Deerfield, N.H.), scoring junior Erin Grover (Biddeford, Maine).

Southern Maine answered right back in the top of the 2nd, when sophomore Meghan Rumore (Manchester, N.H.) put a ground-rule double over the fence in left-center to plate first-year Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine).

Duross scored again in the 4th to move USM ahead, as senior Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) lofted an RBI-single to left-center.

UNE had been held in-check by Huskies junior pitcher Stephanie Stockwell (Buxton, Maine) after the opening frame, but with one on and one out in the last half of the 6th, Big Blue junior Megan Gauger (South Paris, Maine) notched a base hit that put two runners in scoring position. LaRoche came across on a wild pitch to even things up (2-2), before senior Maegen Johnson (Standish, Maine) tripled to left to score Gauger and make it 3-2 in favor of the hosts.

Lyons went to 3-3 on the season after getting through the top of the 7th with little trouble, and finished a pair of strike outs.

Stockwell fanned five in the circle while taking the setback for Southern Maine. Duross ended with a hit in all three of her at-bats.

USM threatened score early in game two, as singles from Stockwell, sophomore Annie Mitchell (Gorham, Maine), and Duross loaded the bases with one in the 1st inning, but the Huskies could not get on the board.

The Nor'easters used a lead-off error followed by a walk to set the stage in the bottom of the 2nd for Gauger, who gave UNE the lead with a single up the middle. UNE would plate three more in the stanza to gain a 4-0 advantage.

Big Blue added another run in the 5th when LaRoche drove in sophomore Allie Frazier (Tewksbury, Mass.), and tacked on two more in the 6th to provide the final tally. Senior Ashley Gott (Winterport, Maine) and sophomore Lauren Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine) kicked the 6th off with singles and both scored when sophomore Kirstyn Tracey (Hope Valley, R.I.) knocked a double to right on the next play.

UNE senior Julie Bigelow (Montpelier, Vt.) logged the initial six innings in the circle to earn her fifth win of the year. She allowed just two hits and a walk after the 1st inning, and struck out three. First-year Kelly Reid (Nantucket, Mass.) entered the game in the 7th and retired the side in order, including two punch-outs.

Rousseau had two hits and two runs scored in the contest for the Big Blue offense, which takes its five-game win streak to Husson University on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) for a non-conference twinbill.

Mitchell registered a pair of hits in the outing for the Huskies, who visit Bowdoin College on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.). USM junior pitcher Alexandra Perdomo (Portland, Maine) was tagged with the game two loss, surrendering three earned runs while recording one strike out.