Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

LEWISTON, Maine -- Melissa Sprague struck out nine over five innings of work to help the University of New England to a 7-3 victory over Bates College in softball action early Thursday afternoon (Apr. 21) at Lafayette St. Field. The Bobcats then secured the nightcap, 6-5, with a walk-off hit in the last frame.

The results move the Nor'easters to 21-11, while Bates now sits at 3-23.

Sprague (2-0) held the Bobcats scoreless over five innings in GAME 1, including eight in the first three stanzas. She finished allowing three hits and no walks.

UNE gave her a lead in the 4th, as Lauren Jones recorded a two-out RBI-single to score Kelly Murphy. After getting out of a bases-loaded with no outs situation in the bottom of the inning against Bates, the Nor'easters added four runs in the 5th to gain a 5-0 lead. The visitors did it all with one out, as one hit, four walks, and two errors, and the bases were still loaded before an inning-ending double-play.

An error cost the Bobcats again to start the 6th, eventually making it 6-0. With two away, Abby Lambert doubled to plate Avery Alberghini, who had reached with a bunt single. 

A pair of no-out singles netting nothing for Bates in the 6th, but the hosts did manage to put three unearned runs across in the 7th off Sophia Burnham. A two-out walk and error filled the bases for Karen Lockhart, who sent a clearing triple to the wall in center to get the Bobcats on the board.

Lambert and Alberghini each had two hits for UNE. Murphy and Amanda Vallante both registered a hit, scored once, and drove in another. Sydney Helmbrecht scored twice.

For Bates, Lockhart and Emma Schiller had two hits apiece. Kylie Martin gave up just one earned run in the loss.

GAME 2 went back-and-forth throughout, with the Nor'easters going up 1-0 in the 2nd on a lead-off single to center by Alexis Kapsambelis, who stole second and scored on two passed balls. Maddie Inlow tied things for the Bobcats in the last half of the frame with a home run over the fence in left.

UNE scored two in the 3rd only to see Bates get those right back when Schiller hit an RBI-double to left-center with two outs. After Lockhart kept the inning moving with a single, Inlow came through with an RBI-single down the line in left. Lockhart was thrown out at the dish on the play.

The Bobcats pulled ahead, 4-3, in the 4th, but Kaitlin Carson drew a lead-off walk in the 5th and touched home for a second time on an RBI-single by Jones. Murphy then knocked in Jones with a single to swing the Nor'easters in front (5-4).

Inlow continued to find open space in the 5th, clubbing a two-out single to right-center that knotted the match at 5-all.

A scoreless 6th put the outcome in the final frame, and UNE was unable to convert with runners at second and third with no outs in the top of the 7th. Bates was one out from heading to extra innings when Inlow doubled to left and Madison Fox followed with a the game-winning single through the left side.

Sam Fellers (2-6) struck out four and surrendered just two earned runs in win. After Inlow's 4-for-4 performance, Lockhart supported with a pair of hits.

Lambert took the setback in 3 2/3 innings of relief for UNE. Erin Walsh tallied a single and scored once for the offense. Vallante extended her hitting streak to 10 games with a single.

The Nor'easters resume Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action on Saturday (1 p.m.) at Curry College.