Maine outfielder Rachel Carlson waits on a pitch during first inning action Thursday afternoon in an America East softball matchup with UMass-Lowell. Photo by Chris Lessner.
ORONO, Maine- The University of Maine softball team used some late inning heroics Thursday afternoon to win their seventh game in a row, with a 5-4 eight inning victory over UMass-Lowell in an America East showdown at Mike Kessock Field at the UMaine campus.
Maine (16-18, 10-1 America East) broke ahead early on a Riverhawk throwing error in the bottom of the first to make it 1-0. A throwing error on the Black Bears though allowed the visiting Riverhawks to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the second.
An RBI double by Laurine Germaine, followed by RBI singles from Erika Leonard and Rachel Harvey, put Maine up 4-1 in the bottom half of the second.
It seemed that may be enough as starting pitcher Erin Bogdonavich seemed to get into a groove, retiring seven in a row at one point. But it was not to be as the visitors rallied in the fifth. Alisha Welch singled in a run, and an error on Black Bear left fielder Leonard allowed another run to score to cut the lead to 4-3. Courtney Cashman hit a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the score 4-4.
The game would head into extra innings with the game still tied, and that’s when the Black Bears would work some home magic in the bottom half of the eighth inning. Meghan Royle, with two out and noone on base, laced one down the third base line that deflected off the glove of third baseman Casey Harding. Royle ended up at second base. Kristen Niland was next up and would smash a 3-2 pitch, this time down the first base line, and this time off the first baseman Vanessa Coopers glove, allowing pinch runner Emily Gilmore to score from second to end the game.
Molly Flowers (6-7) won the game in relief of Bogdonavich, going four innings, allowing no runs, three hits, with two strikeouts. Kaysee Talcik (6-10) was also good in relief of Riverhawk starter Lauren Ramirez. Talcik allowed just one run, three hits, with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
UMass-Lowell dropped to 18-19, 9-5 in America East. The Bears are 4-0 at home. Maine continues conference play when they travel to Binghamton for a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. A single game will also be played Sunday at 12 p.m.
UML (18-19) 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0- 4 9 1
UME (16-18) 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1- 5 10 4
