|
Softball Takes Series Finale from Hartford
April 27, 2008
HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Maine softball team took the series finale from Hartford on Sunday by a count of 12-1 in six innings. The Black Bears improved to 11-36 overall, but more importantly ran their record to 10-8 in America East. Maine's win, coupled with UMBC's (20-26, 9-9 AE) setback on Sunday at Vermont, gives the Black Bears a one-game lead over the Retrievers in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot in the conference tournament which will begin on May 8. Both teams will square off in a three-game series next weekend in Orono, including a doubleheader on Saturday (12 p.m.) and a single game on Sunday (11 a.m.). The three-game set will be the regular-season finale for both teams. Alexis Souhlaris, Ashley Waters and Kristen Calvetti each blasted home runs in the win for Maine. It was Waters' 10th of the season, as she is the only player in the league this season to smack double-digit home runs. It was Souhlaris' second homer in as many days, as she now has eight on the season, which is tied for second most on the team with Terren Hall. Calvetti blasted her third home run of the campaign. Overall, Maine has now blasted 36 home runs this season which shatters the single season school record of 32 set by the 2000 edition of the Black Bears. Both the 2000 and 2008 squads featured a hitter who smacked double-digit home runs, including Sara Jewett (15) in 2000, and Waters (10) this season.
Maine pitcher Jenna Balent made the start in the pitching circle, which meant she started all three games in the series versus the Hawks. Just as she did on Saturday, Balent turned in another strong performance as she went five innings giving up only one run on four hits with a strikeout. She earned the win and went 2-1 on the weekend after yielding a combined three runs on 17 hits. The victory raised her record to 7-13 on the season and lowered her earned run average to 3.79 in the process.
The Black Bears exploded in the third inning with three runs to open up a 3-0 advantage. The highlights of the inning were an RBI double by Whitney Spangler and a two-run homer by Waters. Maine kept the scoring up with four runs in the fifth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. All four runs came on one swing of the bat by Calvetti as she ripped a grand slam, which brought home Spangler, Waters and Hall on the play. Spangler and Waters led off the inning with a single and double, respectively, while Hall drew a walk to load the bases and set the table for Calvetti. Hartford scratched out a run in the bottom of the frame to pull within 7-1, but Maine set the eight-run rule into effect in the top half of the sixth with five runs to end the game with a 12-1 victory. The Black Bears got their runs on a solo shot by Souhlaris, a Hall RBI single, a Kali Burnham RBI double, an Erin Iandoli RBI bases loaded walk, and a Souhlaris RBI single in her second at-bat of the inning. Maine sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning to seal the win. |
