UMaine Softball Drops Rubber Match at UAlbany, 5-3

Photo is courtesy of University of Maine

Albany, N.Y. -- Kristen Niland and Meghan Royle each homered but the University of Maine softball team came up short on Sunday, dropping the rubber match of its series at UAlbany, 5-3.

Rachel Carlson drove in the third run of the day for the Black Bears, who were limited to three hits on the afternoon.

Niland began the scoring with her first home run of the year, an opposite field shot over the wall in
left, giving the Black Bears a 1-0 lead in the third.

Albany answered with two runs in the fourth. Donna Conrad dropped a single into center that was mishandled in the outfield, allowing Shaye Swiatek to score. Conrad later scoring on Mackenzie Cleary's single through the left side.

The Black Bears battled back with a pair of runs in the fifth to regain the lead. Royle started the fifth inning rally with a solo home run to left before Rachel Carlson slapped a triple down the left field line, plating Erika Leonard.

However, UAlbany answered with three runs in the home half of the fifth. Conrad drove in her second run of the game with a single up the middle before Chelsea Henige's productive groundout to second brought in Elizabeth Snow from third. Later in the inning, McKenzie Bump worked a bases loaded walk, extending the Great Dane lead to 5-3.

Maine was unable to score again, dropping game three of the series to the Great Danes.

Erin Bogdanovich started for the Black Bears, going three innings while giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits with a pair of strikeouts. Annie Kennedy took the loss in relief, falling to 5-4 on the year, after surrendering three runs on five hits. Molly Flowers threw the final two innings, striking out three.

Maine is back in action on April 27 when it travels to Yale for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.

-UMaine-