BANGOR – Husson University defeated the University of Maine at Farmington 7-3 to win its first-ever North Atlantic Conference Softball Championship this afternoon.
Farmington ended its season with a 17-13 record. The Beavers downed Thomas 8-4 earlier in the day to reach the championship game. The Eagles improved to 26-14 and goes on to represent the NAC in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Farmington’s Mckell Barnes (Durham, ME), Liz Bergeron (Old Town, ME), and Erin Porter (Bangor, ME) were named to the NAC All-Tournament Team. Husson’s Nicky Sargent (Sullivan, ME) was named the Most Outstanding Players with teammates Dottie Cameron (South Plainfield, NJ) and Cassie Berry (Newcastle, ME) along with Thomas College’s Kristy Clements (Monroe, ME) and Brittany Morin (Winslow, ME) and Castleton State College’s Hillary Bemis (Crown Point, NY) and Alicia Zraunig (Greenfield, MA) earning NAC All-Tournament honors.
In the title game, the Beavers struck first in the top of the first inning with a two-run double by Shannon Mitchell (Portsmouth, NH). The Eagles got back those two runs and added two more in the bottom of the inning when Berry hit a two-run home run to dead centerfield. Megan Richard (Wilton, ME) drove in two runs on a double to left-center. Husson scored four runs on five hits and one error in the first, taking a 4-2 lead.
Farmington scored another run in the top of the second on a RBI double to left field by Porter. The Beavers had the bases loaded with two outs, but Sargent retired the next batter on a groundout to second to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the inning Brianna Webster (Belfast, ME) walked and Cameron doubled to lead off the inning. Megan Bradstreet (Warren, ME) picked up a RBI on a groundout to third, as Webster scored and Cameron moved to third. After a Berry walk, both Cameron and Berry scored on an infield error as the Eagles extended their lead to 7-3.
Both pitchers settled down after the first two innings, as neither pitcher gave up a run the rest of the game. In the top of the seventh, the Beavers led off the inning with two singles. However, Sargent got the next batter to line out to centerfield and Caitlin LeBorgne (Scarborough, ME) came in to retire the next two batters as the Eagles won their first NAC Softball Title. Sargent picked up her 13th win of the season as she went six and one third of an inning giving up two earned runs on eight hits and three walks. LeBorgne picks up her first save of the year.
Bergeron got the loss as she went six innings giving up five earned runs on eight hits and three walks. Both Sargent and Bergeron finished with two strikeouts a piece.
Bradstreet was the only Eagle to record two hits as she went 2-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Berry finished the game with two RBIs and two runs scored as she went 1-1 and drew two walks.
Porter, McPhail and Mitchell all had two hits apiece.
In the 8-4 victory over Thomas to reach the title game, Barnes clubbed two two-run home runs and a bases-loaded double with seven RBI to lead the Beavers to the victory.
Thomas threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases with one out. However, Farmington pitcher Jess Timmreck (Brunswick, ME) got out of the jam unharmed as she retired the next two batters on a groundout and an infield pop out.
In the bottom of the inning Farmington leadoff batter Kasey McPhail (Benton, ME) reached base on an infield single. Mcphail moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a wild pitch with one out. Thomas got out of the jam unharmed as Terrier pitcher Jordan Kennedy (Detroit, ME) retired the next two batters on a lineout and a groundout.
Jen Higgins (Old Town, ME) got things going for the Terriers in the second when she drew a two out walk. Brittany Morin (Winslow, ME) stepped up next and doubled home Higgins. Mallorie Blakney (Fairfield, ME) then singled to left-center, scoring Morin from second. Patrice Cianchette (Corinna, ME) kept the rally going for the Terriers in the second as she hit a single to left field, bringing home Blakney and giving Thomas a 3-0 lead after an inning and a half.
In the bottom of the second Timmreck led off for the Beavers with a walk. After a great diving catch by Thomas third baseman Alexandra Kriegel (Winslow, ME), Casandra Dyer (Freeport, ME) doubled down the left field line to put two Beavers in scoring position with no outs. Kennedy once again got out of the inning unharmed as she got Farmington to pop up to third and picked up a strikeout.
In the bottom of the third, the Beavers got back two runs on a two-run home run to left field by Barnes. Thomas responded in the top of the fourth with an unearned run as Kristy Clements (Monroe, ME) hit an RBI double to left-center field, extending the Terriers’ lead to 4-2.
Mcphail loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single on a 3-0 count. Porter brought the Beavers within one run with a two-out RBI infield single. Barnes stepped up and ripped a bases-clearing double to left-center as the Beavers took their first lead of the game, 6-4.
Barnes hit her second two-run home run of the game to left field in the top of the seventh, extending Farmington’s lead to four runs.
Bergeron picked up the win pitching the last three innings without giving up a run and only giving up one hit and one walk.
Clements for Thomas finished the game going 3-3 from the plate with one double and one RBI.
