Eagles Sweep UMaine-Farmington, 7-0, 13-4; Merrill Sets Single-Season HBP Mark

Photo is credited to MONTY RAND and recap courtesy of Husson University

FARMINGTON, Maine – University of Maine at Farmington softball team (3-16, 0-4 NAC) could not escape the late inning rallies by Husson University (10-18, 6-4 NAC) as the Eagles swept Thursday's North Atlantic Conference (NAC) doubleheader at Prescott Field. The Beavers dropped the opening contest of the day, 7-0, and could not bounce back in the second game with a 13-4 defeat.

The first game was very much a pitcher's duel for the first six innings. Kailyn Hill scattered two hits over the six innings before Husson struck first with a home run to center field from Sami Cyr. Two batters later, Nicole Andrade drove home an insurance run with a double into the right center gap.

Alison Hamilton started a two-out rally for the Beavers in the bottom of the frame by cracking a double, but UMF's offense left her stranded in scoring position.

Husson took control in the top of the seventh inning with five runs off seven hits by Allison Hill, Cyr,
Casey Lopes, Andrade, Erika Parker, Kristen Chipman and Courtney MacIntyre for the final margin of victory.

Lyndsay Merrill, Cyr, Andrade and Parker each had two hits in the game for the Eagles. Cyr added a double and homerun and Andrade had two doubles. Alannah Healy (8-12) pitched a complete game four hit shutout to pick up the win in game one.

In the second game, Husson wasted no time securing the lead, as the Eagles took advantage of two hit batsmans and two hits to take a 4-0 edge in the top of the first. Merrill who was plunked by an errant pitch leading off the inning and scored on a Cyr single up the middle to put the Eagles on the board. Cyr and Lopes scored the Eagles second and third runs of inning off triple to right center by Andrade. Lopes reached base on a hit by pitch. Andrade scored the Eagles final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Parker.

UMF found itself in a 6-0 hole after Merrill planted a Emily Vitone pitch over the right center fence for a two-run homerun but quickly battled back with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Margaret Fogarty came through with an RBI single and Hamilton followed later in the inning with a two-run single.

The Beavers added another run in the bottom of the third when Tasha DeRoche slapped an RBI single to right field and closed the gap to 6-4.

The Eagles offense came alive in the late innings again by tallying seven runs over the next two innings.

Cyr, Chipman and Heath each had two hits for the Eagles in game two while Merrill, Kylie Kennedy, Andrade, Parker added a hit apiece. Cyr and Health chipped in with a double, Andrade had a triple and Merrill contributed a home-run in the victory. Healy picked up the win in game two after allowing one unearned run off three hits with a stirkeout over 4.2 innings.

When Merrill was hit by the pitch leading off the first inning of game two, it was the tenth time she has been hit this season breaking the single-season mark of nine set by Megan Richard in 2010.
DeRoche finished the afternoon 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. Hamilton was 2-for-6 on the afternoon with two RBI, a double, and extended her hitting streak to five games.

UMaine-Farmington host Johnson State on Saturday in conference action while Husson returns to action on Saturday as well when they host New England College for a NAC Doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.