With the sweep, Southern Maine earns its fourth consecutive victory and improves to 19-8-1 on the season and 4-4 in the Little East Conference. UMass Boston falls to 18-10 overall with the pair of losses, and 5-3 in the Little East. The Beacons' loss to USM in game one of the double-header snapped a four-game win-streak.
GAME ONE: Southern Maine 10, UMass Boston 0 (6 innings)
The Huskies' scored five runs in the top of the sixth and freshman Samantha Goode (Bucksport,
Maine) sat the Beacons down in order in the home half of the inning to invoke the eight-run rule and win game one 10-0 in six innings.
Crosman finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs batted in and two runs scored to pace the Huskies' offense, while sophomore Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine/Noble) and senior Jen Lynch (Portland, Maine/Deering) each had two RBI.
Southern Maine snagged a 1-0 lead early when junior Shelby Obert (Norridgewock, Maine/Skowhegan) laced an RBI single through the left side to score senior Mary Caron (Lewiston, Maine/St. Dominic's). Caron led off the inning with a walk.
USM remained ahead 1-0 after scoreless second, USM increased its lead to 4-0 generating three runs after two outs. Sophomore Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) led off the inning with a single to left and advanced to second after Obert was hit by a pitch. The next to USM batters went down in order on a foul out by Kelly and strikeout to junior Danni Humphrey (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate). With two down and runners on first and second, Crosman keyed the Huskies rally rocketing a triple to right center field to score Obert and Davis. Senior Kat McKay (Mechanic Falls, Maine/St. Dominic's) made it 4-0 with an RBI single to score Crosman before the Beacons closed out the inning.
After a scoreless fourth, USM made it 5-0 with another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Lynch. Lynch's double brought junior Allison Pillar (Hollis, Maine/Bonny Eagle) across home plate. Pillar led off the inning with a pinch-hit single through the right side.
Despite giving up back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the fifth, Goode left the inning unscathed as her defense back her up, turning a line-out double play. In the top of the sixth, USM exploded for five runs on four hits and pair of UMass Boston errors. Davis, Kelly, Crosman, and Caron each collected hits in the inning, while Kelly had two RBI, Crosman, Caron and Lynch each had one.
Goode earned the win for the Huskies with the shutout. She scattered six hits and two walks over sixth innings and struck out six. UMB freshman Vic Zechello (Westborough, Mass.) allowed six earned runs on 15 hits and three walks in six innings. She had three strikeouts in the loss.
GAME TWO: Southern Maine 3, UMass Boston 2 (9)
Sophomore Taylor Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) came through in the cluth with a two-out RBI single to score the go-ahead run and Goode pitched 1.2 innings of solid relief to earn the 3-2 win over the Beacons in the ninth inning.
In a fantastic pitcher's duel between UMass Boston freshman Annie Thomas (Lunenburg, Mass./Leominster) and the Huskies' Kelly both teams were held scoreless through five full. Kelly gave up the first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. With one out in the inning, the Beacons struck for three consecutive singles from junior Kaitlyn Morse (Arlington, Mass.), freshman Alyssa Tulley (Lowell, Mass.) and junior Gia Raczkowski (Stoneham, Mass.) to load the bases. Freshman Roxanne Vento (Arlington, Mass.) earned the RBI with an fielder's choice that lead to the Beacons' second out, before Kelly retired the side with a line-out to center field.
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh, USM scored two runs to take the lead. Kelly put herself in scoring position with a one-out double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Crosman then collected another RBI with a single to center field to score Kelly to pull USM even with UMB. Freshman Brooke Cross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) made it 2-1 with some heads up base running on a passed ball.
The Beacons rallied to force extra innings in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly RBI from freshman Taylor Pawlina (Woonsocket, R.I.). UMB opened the inning with back-to-back singles from freshman Alexa St. Angelo (Cranston, R.I.) and senior Kristina Bove (Medford, Mass.). Both runners advanced a base to set up second and third on a ground out, before Goode reentered the game in relief of Kelly. With one out, Goode gave up the sacrifice fly RBI before retiring the side on a strikeout.
Neither team scored in the eighth. Obert had a one-out double in the top of the inning for USM but was stranded as Thomas battled back with a foul out and a strikeout to end the threat. In the bottom of the inning, UMB looked poised to score after a lead off double from Tulley. But Tulley was caught in a lengthy run down attempting to steal third for the first out. USM allowed the next UMB batter to reach safely on an infield error, and Vento again made it runners on second and third with a single and an advance on the throw, before Goode collected another strikeout for the second out and then got the final out via an infield pop up to send the game to the ninth.
In the top of the ninth Crosman collected her sixth hit of the day with a lead off single to shallow left field, and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from McKay. After a pop up from Lynch made it two outs with a runner on second, the Huskies' Caron was hit by a pitch, sending Lux to the plate. Lux, who was retired via strikeout in her first four at bats, came through in her fifth appearance at the plate lacing a single through the middle to score Crosman for the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Goode overwhelmed the UMB batters collecting two more strikeouts before capturing the win with a fly ball to right field to end the game.
Kelly, the Huskies' starter, went 6.1 innings allowing two earned runs on eight hits and a walk for the no-decision. Goode earned her sixth win of the season, pitching 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and striking out four. Thomas was the hard-luck loser for the Beacons. Setting a school-record for strikeouts in a game with 15, Thomas allowed three earned runs on seven hits and three walks.
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine remains on the road and will travel to Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) for a Little East Conference doubleheader. UMass Boston travels to Western Connecticut State on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) for an LEC doubleheader.
No comments:
Post a Comment