BIDDEFORD – The University of Maine at Farmington softball team took on the University of New England in a non-conference doubleheader this afternoon. The Beavers won game one, 7-5 while the Nor’Easters battled back in game two to top Farmington, 3-2 in nine innings.
Game One
The Beavers offense proved to be too much during the back and forth battle in game one. Maddie Pike (Kennebunk, Maine) got the Beavers on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning, delivering a SAC fly to bring home Abby Wrinn (Wolcott, Conn.) who led off the game with a walk.
First-year starting pitcher Mack Bergen (Winnipeg, Manitoba) pitched a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the first, but found herself in trouble to start the second inning. Grace Tutt led off the inning with a double and came into score on an RBI double from Hannah Lappin to tie the game up at one. Mo Kinsella and Lappin scored later in the inning on a throwing error to give the Nor’Easters a 3-1 lead.
Farmington quickly tied the game up in the top of the third. Wrinn drew a one out walk and Jojo Daigneault (Canton, Conn.) reach on an error to start the Beaver rally. Pike delivered an RBI double down the line in left, bringing home Wrinn and making it a one-run game. Christa Allen (Harrison, Maine) followed with a SAC fly to knot the game back up.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the bottom half of the third as Tutt doubled again, this time bringing home a run and later scored on a RBI groundout from Kinsella to give UNE a 5-3 through three.
After being held scoreless in the fourth, Farmington’s bats came back alive in the fifth. Wrinn led off the inning with her third walk of the game. Pike was hit by a pitch two batters later to give the Beavers runners on first and second with one down. After Wrinn moved over to third on a fly out, Pike stole second to set up a second and third with two out opportunity for Katie Morse (Dixfield, Maine). Morse delivered in a big way, wrapping a double down the right field line, scoring both Wrinn and Pike, tying the game up at five.
The Beavers added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to close out the victory. Wrinn hit a ground-rule double to left in the sixth to score the go-ahead run. Pike led off the seventh with a double and came into score on a Morse groundout.
Bergen gave up five runs in the first three innings but settled down big time, closing the game out with four scoreless innings to secure the Beavers seventh win of the season.
Game Two
The Beavers offense picked up right where they left off from game one to start game two. Wrinn led off the game with a single up the middle and came into score on an RBI single from Pike to give the Beavers an early 1-0 lead. Morse dropped down a squeeze bunt but Daigneault was thrown out at the plate to keep the Beavers lead at one.
After the Beavers took a 1-0 lead in the first, a pitchers duel commenced throughout the middle innings.
Beavers starting pitcher Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) was ultra-effective in the circle for the first five innings, scattering five hits through the first five innings and striking out four and striking out the side in the second inning.
For the Nor’easters, Liv Arvidson gave up three hits through the second and fifth innings to keep the Beaver offense at bay.
Delaney Whitten started a UNE rally in the bottom of the sixth, doubling to lead off the inning and chase Mayo from the ballgame. Carleigh Schievink (Charlestown, Mass.) took over for Mayo. The first batter she faced was Abby Walsh who dropped down a SAC bunt to move Whitten over the third with one away. Lappin ripped a clutch ground-rule double to score Whitten and knot the game up at one. Schievink retired the next two hitters to escape further trouble.
After a scoreless seventh, the Beavers were able to push across a run in the top of the eighth to break the tie. With a runner starting on second base to start extra innings, Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) came around to score on a wild pitch to give Farmington a 2-1 lead.
Whitten dropped down a SAC bunt to move Tutt over to third with one out in the bottom half of the eighth. After Schievink got Walsh to strike out, Lappin delivered a clutch two-out single to tie the game up once again.
The Beavers were unable to push across the runner from second in the top of the ninth setting up the Nor’easters to have a chance to win in the bottom of the inning. Hannah Irons delivered the game-winning walk-off single to center field with one away to secure the 3-2 victory for UNE.
UP NEXT
The Beavers are scheduled to take on Husson University this Saturday in their North Atlantic Conference opener.
