The University of Maine softball team played a non-conference doubleheader against Atlantic 10 opponent UMass on Wednesday afternoon in Amherst, Massachusetts ahead of their conference opening series this upcoming weekend. The Minutemen won both games by scores of 7-4 and 4-2.
In the first game, UMass bolted out to a 4-0 lead after four innings helped by an RBI single by Bella Pantoja, a two-run single from Emily Whelan, and an RBI sacrifice fly from Kristina Day. Maine battled back in the fifth though to tie it. With one out, Izzy Nieblas hit a solo homerun to center and then Grace McGouldrick reached on an error. With two outs, Mariah Pearson would single and Gabby Papushka followed by hitting a three-run homer to left to make it 4-4. The Minutemen would take the lead for good on a one out two-run single by Grace Cadden in the bottom of the fifth inning, and added an RBI double by Chloe Whittier in the last of the sixth. Caitlyn Fallon (2-1) took the pitching loss in relief of Emily Reid. Pearson had two hits.
In game two, Maine fell behind 3-0 early after two innings and couldn’t recover as UMass took the sweep with a two run victory. Jasmine Gray had a two-run homerun in the fourth for the Black Bears. Kelby Drews had the only other hit with a double. Alexandria Gruitch (0-12) took the loss in the circle and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 6.0 innings. UMass improves to 10-17, while Maine falls to 4-23.
Maine will now open up America East conference play with a three game series on the road this weekend at Stony Brook. The series begins Saturday at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader, with a single game scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m.
