BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine softball team plated seven runs in the 5th inning of the nightcap to open up a tied game on the way to a doubleheader sweep of the University of New England, 10-0 (5 innings) and 10-4, on Sunday afternoon (Mar. 26) at a windy Nor'easter Diamond.
With the results, the Huskies improve to 4-8 on the young season, and UNE settles at 2-12.
Lauren Merrill, Hannah Shields, and Meaghan Dufresne each had four hits on the day for USM, and Merrill also put up three RBI. Rona Scott drove in three, as well, and her three hits were matched by Madison Day, who touched home plate five times.
Additionally, Merrill posted the complete-game shutout in
GAME 1 (USM 10-0), striking out four against one hit and one walk.
The Huskies broke things open with two outs and no one on base in the 3rd, scoring four times, including a two-run double to left-center by Kendall Migliorini. Four unearned runs came in the 4th.
Grace Tutt had the lone hit for the Nor'easters.
Mia Micucci took the setback in the circle in three innings of work.
Micucci and Southern Maine starter Belle Snyder were locked in a battle through four frames of
GAME 2 (USM 10-4), knotted at 1-1, until the visitors plated seven in the 5th to take control. Scott broke up the tie with a bases-loaded double to go up 4-1 before the first out of the stanza, and pinch hitter Ella Bezanson later singled to knock in a pair and cap the at-bat with two outs on the board.
UNE got two back in the 6th, cutting the deficit to 8-3.
Emma Koenig had a one-out RBI-triple to left, and scored on an ensuing groundout.
Abby Miner, who had tripled to score
Kenzie Bessette in the 1st, added another RBI with two gone in the 7th, cashing in on a leadoff double by
Becca Dumont.
Synder fanned six to get the decision for USM. For UNE, Micucci totaled four strikeouts over 7.1 innings between the two contests.
Next: The Nor'easters continue their eight-game homestand on Wednesday (4 p.m.) with a twinbill against Saint Joseph's College of Maine.
