LEESBURG, Florida – The University of Maine at Farmington softball team wrapped up its Florida spring break trip on Friday with a pair of tough games against two of the top Division III programs in the northeast, eventually falling to SUNY Cortland, 8-0, in its first game of the day before dropping a 14-1 decision to Framingham State (Mass.).
Both games were five-inning contests played at Sleepy Hollow Park in Leesburg.
Cortland State has won SUNY Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular season titles in each of the last six non-COVID impacted seasons, and captured the SUNYAC tournament championship in four of those campaigns. Framingham State entered this season with Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season or tournament championships in each of the last four seasons not impacted by COVID.
Against Cortland, the Red Dragons tallied 11 hits including five hits during a five-run uprising in the bottom of the second inning.
UMF’s (1-3) best scoring opportunity came in the top of the second. Chelsea Davis reached second with one out after getting aboard on a fielder’s choice grounder and moving to second on Mackenzie Dyer’s base hit into left field. However, Cortland pitcher Karlee Weeden fanned the next two Beaver batters to end the UMF threat.
Dyer went 2-for-2 at the plate, with Olivia Paradis accounting for the remaining UMF hit.
In the day’s second game, UMF trailed 2-0 after two innings and remained within striking distance of Framingham State heading into the third.
The Rams put together a seven-run third inning on seven hits and two Beaver errors, keyed by two-run singles from Zoe Smyth and Camille Desrochers. Framingham State tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning, with two runs crossing on RBI singles from Brooke Grassia and Keely Scotia.
UMF got one back in the home half of the fourth, which began with Makayla Wilson reaching on a Framingham error at third. Wilson went to second on Paradis’ grounder back to the pitcher, and scored on a Christa Allen single that was the Beavers’ only hit of the game.
The Beavers will return to the field on Saturday, March 26, when they travel to Massachusetts for a pair of doubleheaders. UMF will face Lasell University on Saturday, March 26, followed by Endicott College on Sunday, March 27.
