The Husson Eagles softball team is hosting the North Atlantic Conference tournament this weekend, and on Friday action got underway.
In the opener, New England College certainly didn’t play like the #4 seed against the top seeded Eagles.
NEC held a late 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, until Husson got a run on a wild pitch and an infield single RBI from Bri Brochu to pull off the 3-2 win.
Jen Jones (8-5) won the game in relief, going four innings and only allowing one hit with six strikeouts.
After the third seeded Thomas College Terriers upset second seeded Castleton, the Eagles would face the Terriers in their second game Friday in the winners bracket.
Husson jumped ahead 2-0 when a fielding error allowed a run to score in the first, and then Brianna Bires singled in a run in the fourth.
Thomas rallied on a two run double by Lauren Farina in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-2. Thomas took the lead on a fielding miscue by Husson in the fifth to make it 3-2, then padded the lead on a Farina RBI double and an RBI groundout by Katie Taylor in the sixth to make it 5-2. Brochu scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, but Thomas moved into the championship bracket with a 5-3 win.
Arika Brochu took the loss in the circle for the Eagles. Husson will now face Castleton at 1 p.m. Saturday in an elimination game. The game will be played at the Winkin Complex due to impending weather. The winner will face Thomas 30 minutes after game one, with the Terriers needing one win to secure a title.
In Orono Friday, the Albany Great Danes swept an America East doubleheader over Maine by scores of 2-0 and 6-5. A third game of the series was to be played Saturday, but has been cancelled, ending the regular season for both teams.
In game one, Celeste Verdolivo was the story in the circle for Albany. Verdolivo (7-7) held the Black Bears to only two hits with four strikeouts in the shutout win.
Elizabeth Snow and Sarah Petzold provided first inning run scoring hits to back Verdolivo. Erin Bogdonavich (5-11) took the loss for Maine, allowing only five hits and had 12 strikeouts in the complete game effort.
In game two, Albany jumped to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, including a two run homer from Sarah Bump. Maine rallied in the fifth when Alyssa Derrick launched her 13th homerun of the year, a two run shot, to make it 3-2.
Albany looked like it had put the game out of reach when Snow drilled a three run homer in the seventh to make it 6-2. Maine rallied again in their last at bat when Erika Leonard hit an RBI double, and Maddie Moore had a 2 run single, but the Bears came up just short by a run.
Molly Flowers (6-9) went the distance and took the loss in the circle for Maine, who has now lost five in a row.
Maine finishes the regular season at 16-23 overall, and 10-6 in America East. Albany finished 23-15, 8-7. Maine will be the #2 seed for the America East Tournament at Albany next week. Maine will get a first round bye. The tournament begins Wednesday.
