The University of Maine softball team picked up a split against a pair of opponents on Sunday in non-conference action in games played at Central Connecticut State in the final games of the spring road trip.
In the first game, after falling behind early Maine rallied for a 3-1 win over Iona. The Gaels broke on top with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning. The Black Bears though took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth when Meghan Royle hit an RBI single, and Maddie Decker then followed with an RBI double. Maine added another run for insurance in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Kelby Drews. Freshman Emily Reid (2-5) got the win in the circle for the Bears, allowing just one run, one hit, two walks, and four strikeouts in a complete game 7.0 inning effort. Iona fell to 1-14 with the loss.
In the second game, Maine took the early lead before falling 5-1 to Manhatten College. Alyssa Derrick staked the Black Bears to a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the top of the first. The Jaspers though got a three run double from Annie Moore in the third, added an unearned run on a Maine error in the fifth, and another run on an RBI single from Kat Prevo in the sixth to pull away for the win. Kyleigh O’Donnell (1-3) took the loss in the circle, allowing just two earned runs, five hits, no walks, and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Royle and O’Donnell had the other two hits in the game for Maine. Manhatten improves to 9-10. Maine is 7-15, and will open up America East play on Saturday at UMass-Lowell.
