AUBURNDALE, Massachusetts – The University of Maine at Farmington softball team got hits and baserunners but not a lot of breaks went the Beavers’ way, and UMF fell in both ends of a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday at Lasell University. The Beavers fell to the Lasers, 6-5, in eight innings in game one of the twinbill, and dropped a 3-1 decision in game two.
UMF (1-5) matched Lasell (5-7) run-for-run over seven innings in the first game of Saturday’s twinbill. After Lasell posted two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning, UMF responded with two in the top of the third. Olivia Paradis singled home Leah Stevens to get the Beavers on the scoreboard, and Makayla Wilson crossed while Paradis stole second later in the frame.
Christa Allen singled home Wilson in the top of the fifth, again tying the game after Lasell took a 3-2 lead with a single run in the bottom of the fourth.
The Beavers grabbed a 5-3 lead in the seventh on a two-run round tripper by Paradis, her first collegiate home run. Lasell picked up two runs in the home half of the frame on an RBI triple by Brianna Gendreau and an RBI double from Eryn Sheeley, tying the game at 5-5 to force extra innings.
The Beavers lined into a double play to start the eighth inning with the tiebreaker rule and were retired on a ground out, while the Lasers plated the game-winning run on a one-out single down the left-field line.
Paradis finished the game 3-for-4 while Allen was 3-for-3 with one run batted in. Carleigh Schievink fanned a season-high six Lasell batters.
In game two, after Lasell posted a single run in the second inning, UMF tied the game at 1-1 on Taylor Veilleux’s two-out single into left-center scoring Kiley Merritt. However, Megan Wilson was thrown out at third on the play, getting the Lasers out of the frame.
Matara Tamzarian put Lasell in front, 3-1, with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
UMF got runners as far as third in both the fifth and seventh innings, but were unable to push either runner across.
Stevens went 2-for-3 to lead the Beavers at the plate in game two.
UMF softball’s weekend road swing to Massachusetts continues on Sunday, March 27, when the Beavers face Endicott College in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
