The Husson softball team played host to the University of Maine-Presque Isle on Wednesday afternoon at O’Keefe Field in Bangor. The Eagles continued their red hot play by extending their overall win streak and staying undefeated in the NAC with a doubleheader sweep of the Owls, who suffered their first loss in conference in game one.
Game 1 (NAC)- In a pitchers duel and a contest that went to eight innings, Husson outlasted UMPI 3-2. The Owls took an early lead, as pitcher Hailey Saylor helped her own cause and led the game off with a double and would eventually score on a flyout by Olivia Gray to left field. Two UMPI errors in the fifth inning allowed the Eagles to tie it. With one out, Tori Exel ended up reaching second base on a dropped fly ball by right fielder Reagan Calvin. Kenzie Dore followed with an infield single, and a throwing error by the shortstop Gray and first baseman Gracelyn Walsh allowed pinch runner Jess Pomerleau to cross the plate and even the score. As the game went to the eighth still deadlocked 1-1, the Owls regained the lead when Saylor doubled again with two outs to bring home the runner placed at second base via the extra inning rule. Husson would win it in the bottom half as Jill Bisson singled to score Dore with one out, and with two outs Teagan Blackie scored Bisson with a double into left center field to walk it off. McKenna Smith (12-4) got the victory in the circle allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and 15 strikeouts in the complete game effort. Bisson had three hits and Bulla McCabe had two. Saylor had three hits in the loss for UMPI, and also took the pitching loss (6-8) giving up three runs (one earned) on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
Game 2 (non-conference)- UMPI took their only lead of the contest in the top of the first inning with a run, but Husson responded in the bottom half with a run of their own and then scored twice in the third and three more times in the fifth to compete the sweep 6-4. Dore had an RBI double as part of that two run third inning to put her team up for good 2-1. Kiara McLeod also had an RBI hit in the frame, and then Dore added another run scoring hit in the fifth and the hosts got two more on a wild pitch and passed ball. Dore, McCabe, Katie Raymond, and Olivia McCarty had two hits each and Emily Rerick (5-3) won in the circle allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Zoe Stewart had three hits and two RBI to lead the Owls. Walsh (3-6) suffered the pitching defeat giving up five earned runs on 12 hits in 6.0 innings. UMPI is now 10-15, 4-1 in the North Atlantic Conference.
Husson improves their record to 20-10, 7-0 in the NAC and is now is riding a 14 game win streak. The last time the Eagles lost was back on March 18 on the road at nationally ranked Virginia Wesleyan, who was #6 at the time. Husson will host a doubleheader with Thomas College on Senior Day at O’Keefe Field this coming Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Box Score- Game 1 (NAC Game)
UMPI 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- 2 4 4
HUSS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2- 3 8 1
WP- Smith (12-4) LP- Saylor (6-8)
2B- Husson: McCabe, Blackie/UMPI: Saylor (2)
SB- Husson: Smith (2)/UMPI: none
E- Husson: Exel/UMPI: Stewart (2), Walsh, Calvin
Time- 1:32
Game 2 Box (non-conference)
UMPI 1 0 0 0 0 2 1- 4 10 2
HUSS 1 0 2 0 3 0 ×- 6 12 2
WP- Rerick (5-3) LP- Walsh (3-6)
2B- Husson: McCabe, Dore/UMPI: none
SB- Husson: Raymond/UMPI: none
E- Husson: McCarty, Bisson/UMPI: Saylor, Blauvelt
Time- 1:35
Recaps by Chris Lessner
