The Husson University Eagles softball team is off to their third best start in program history.
Husson, who swept Vermont State University-Lyndon at home on Tuesday to get their conference schedule underway, improved to 14-4 and got off to an early 2-0 start in NAC action. The 14-4 record through 18 games is the third best for the Eagles. The 1995 team went 15-3 in their first 18 contests, finishing 29-13 losing in the NAIA National Tournament that year. The best start and season ever for Husson softball wasn’t that long ago in 2021 when they went 27-1 (17-1 through 18 games), on their way to a conference championship and got to host a NCAA Division III Regional at O’Keefe Field in Bangor where they fell 1-0 to Tufts University in the regional final finishing up a historic campaign at 29-3.
This current Husson team is on a nine game winning streak with their most recent conference sweep on Tuesday. They started the season with an 8-4 record in Florida on their spring trip against some very tough opponents, winning their final three games in the Sunshine State and haven’t lost since. Junior infielder Tori Exel (Noble High) has led the Eagles thus far with a .452 batting average, with 11 doubles, four triples, 14 runs batted in, to go along with 12 runs scored. Junior Bulla McCabe is at .362 with nine RBI, and senior Julia Gregoire is batting .353 with one homerun and is second on the team with 11 runs knocked in. Husson has five players who have seen significant playing time that are hitting .308 or better. Senior infielder Kenzie Dore (Brewer High) will as always be a big part of the Husson success, and is off to a scorching start at the plate in her first three games played going 5 for 8 (.625) that included a 3 for 4 effort with a double, a homerun, and four RBI in the Game 1 win over the Hornets on Tuesday. A pair of young local pitchers have led things in the circle, as freshman Ana Lang (Searsport High) is 6-2 with a 2.00 earned run average with 62 strikeouts and 13 walks in 49.0 innings. Sophomore Danielle Masterson (Hampden Academy) is 4-1 in her seven starts with a 2.22 ERA and has 39 strikeouts and 16 walks in her 34.2 innings pitched.
Husson tries to extend their win streak on Thursday in non-conference action on the road against Plymouth State with a doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m. The Panthers are 8-14 so far on the season and play in the Little East Conference.
Written by Chris Lessner
