The Maine softball team played at the home confines of Kessock Field in Orono Saturday afternoon for the first time since May 2019. The America East doubleheader with Hartford would end up in a split, with the Black Bears taking the first game 5-2 and falling 10-1 in game two.
Maine took control of game one early, scoring four first inning runs on an RBI single from Izzy Nieblas, a two run double from Kelby Drews, and an RBI double from Keely Clark. Emma Larke, Kya Enos, Nieblas, and Drews all had two hits a piece. Kyleigh O’Donnell (5-2) went the entire 7.0 innings picking up the win in the circle allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Hartford took an early lead in game two in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly, but Nieblas tied it with a sacrifice fly of her own in the bottom half of the inning. Emma Armstrong had a huge game for the Hawks, hitting a pair of three run homeruns as the visitors pulled away with four runs in the third and five more in the fourth inning to win by the mercy rule. Emma Curry also had a solo homer for Hartford, who picks up their first conference win. Maine was held to four hits in the second game to split the afternoon. Caitlyn Fallon (0-6) couldn’t out of third inning going 2.2 innings allowing five runs on five hits to take the loss in the circle.
Maine is now 5-12 overall, 3-2 in America East. Hartford goes to 3-4, 1-4. The teams meet Sunday at 11 a.m. for a single game to finish off the three game series.
