Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Photo Gallery
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomore
Gabrielle LaRoche singled up the middle to score junior
Amanda Vaudreuil from second base to seal a 4-3, 8-inning win over Curry College in game two of a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball doubleheader played Saturday afternoon (Apr. 6) at Claude Dubois Field. The Nor'easters also took the opener in five innings by a score of 12-4.
The Nor'easters (11-7, 5-3 CCC) have now taken the last five meetings against the Colonels, who fall back to 11-9 overall (4-4 CCC).
Things were tied 2-2 through three innings of
game two, and remained that way at the end of regulation. In the top of the 8th, Curry took advantage of a two-out infield error by UNE to move ahead on the scoreboard (3-2) -- its first lead of the day.
But Big Blue answered quickly in the bottom of the frame, as Vaudreuil drove a single up the middle to send first-year
Amanda Vallante around to score from being place on second. After a pop out to the pitcher, LaRoche came through with the game-winning hit.
Vaudreuil and Vallante went for three and two hits, respectively. Seniors
Megan Gauger and
Erin Grover each had a hit and run scored in support for UNE, while first-year pitcher
Abby Lambert struck out five against one walk and six hits as she improved to 4-3.
The Nor'easters went up 2-0 in the 2nd when Grover tripled to right-center, scoring Gauger. Lambert helped herself out on the next play with an RBI-ground out.
Curry responded in the top of the 3rd with a pair of runs. With two down, junior Heather Carrier singled to left, and sophomore Ariel LaRosa followed with a double to left-center. LaRosa scored on the play as well, as an attempt to keep her at second skipped off into the outfield.
Junior Megan Flaherty had two hits for the Colonels. Sophomore Taylor Ahearn took the loss (5-4) in the circle, despite fanning seven.
In
game one, UNE scored early and often to gain control of the contest, plating seven runs in the 2nd and five more in the 3rd to built a 12-1 cushion.
Junior
Allie Frazier connected for three hits to lead the attack, and Grover added two more. Sophomore
Adrienne Chase had three runs batted in, while Vaudreuil and LaRoche each knocked in a pair. Frazier, first-year
Jess Lemos, Vaudreuil, and senior
Casey Brigham came around to plate two runs apiece.
A two-out single up the middle by LaRoche in the 2nd capped Big Blue's scoring in the stanza. The Nor'easters did their damage in bunches in the last half of the 3rd, behind a two-RBI single to center by Vaudreuil and a two-RBI triple down the line in right by Chase.
Curry scored with an RBI-single from LaRosa in the 3rd, an RBI-single by sophomore Abby Macomber and a sacrifice fly from Carrier in the 4th, and an RBI-single by junior Kaitlyn Maderios in the 5th.
The Colonels threatened to extend the game a bit longer in the 5th, with two hits after Maderios to load the bases with just one out. However, UNE preserved the eight-run lead by getting a force-out at home plate, and then a line-out to left field.
First-year
Lauren Doneski improved her personal mark to 5-1 with the 5-inning win, while registering two strike outs.
For Curry, junior Jen Lundstrom was tagged with the loss (4-4) in just two innings of work. First-year Melissa Donaghue finshed off the last-two at-bats against the Nor'easter lineup.
Both squads are back in action on Sunday (12 p.m.). UNE heads to Endicott College for a CCC twinbill, while the Colonels return home to face Salve Regina in a league doubleheader.
Click
HERE to view the Photo Gallery