Izzy Nieblas hit a go ahead three run homer in the sixth inning, and Jasmine Gray also added a three run shot in the seventh on Friday afternoon as the Maine Black Bears softball team opened up America East Conference play with an 8-5 win over the UMass-Lowell Riverhawks at River View Field in Lowell, Massachusetts.
A sacrifice fly by Olivia Labbe in the second inning gave UMass-Lowell the early 1-0 lead that would hold until the fifth inning. Mariah Pearson evened it with a one out solo homer in the top of that fifth inning for Maine. Sarah Ratcliffe regained the lead for the Riverhawks with a two out RBI single in the bottom half of that frame. In the top of the sixth, after a pair of singles to start things off, Nieblas took one out of the park to right center to make it 4-2 Black Bears. Pearson extended the lead to three with an RBI single, and Gray then made it 8-2 with a two out three run homerun to left field in the top of the seventh. Two bases loaded walks and a fielder’s choice RBI pulled UMass-Lowell within three in their last at bat, with Lea White at the plate as the tying run with two outs. White would hit a grounder where the Riverhawks runner at first was thrown out at second to end the game.
Kyleigh O’Donnell (2-2) got the win in the circle for Maine allowing five runs on five hits with six walks and five strikeouts in the complete 7.0 inning effort. Grace McGouldrick and Pearson had two hits a piece, with Nieblas and Gray having the biggest hits of the day with three RBI each. The Black Bears are now 3-10 overall, starting the conference season at 1-0. UMass-Lowell drops to 7-8, 3-1 in America East. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.
