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May 6, 2006

Box Score

ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine softball team concluded its 2006 regular season on Saturday by dropping a tough 4-3 decision to UMBC at Kessock Field. Despite the loss, the Black Bears finished the regular season with the most wins in school history, clinched the America East regular season championship and earned the right to host the conference tournament next weekend in Orono.

The loss dropped Maine to 35-17 on the season, as it also finished the conference regular season with a 16-5 record. UMBC improved to 45-18 and 11-10 in conference, as the Retrievers clinched a spot in the conference tournament next week. The Black Bears took 2-of-3 in the series from UMBC and won all seven of their regular season series against conference foes this year.

Prior to the game eight seniors were honored, including: Sarah Bennis (Pownal, Maine), Erin Provost (Peru, N.Y.), Dana Grimm (Coopersville, Mich.), Christina Belmonte (Livermore Falls, Maine), Meagan Ramos (North Berwick, Maine), Molly McKinney (Byron Center, Mich.), Brittany Cheney (Abington, Mass.) and Amy Kuhl (Phoenix, Ariz.).

Provost led Maine offensively by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Bennis started on the rubber. She yielded three earned runs on seven hits over four innings of work to suffer the loss and fall to 19-6 on the season.

UMBC staked itself to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Maine rallied with a pair of runs in its half of the frame to knot the score at two. Provost led off the frame with a double to left-center field and came around to score later when McKinney tripled to center. Kuhl followed McKinney and drove her in with a base hit.

The Retrievers went back on top 3-2 in the third, but the Black Bears responded in the home half of the frame with a run to tie it at 3-3. Maine got its run when Provost laced a single to center field, which brought home Grimm who had walked earlier in the inning. However, UMBC tacked on the eventual game-winning run in the fourth inning.

The America East Tournament will be held next Thursday-Saturday at Kessock Field. The top four teams from the regular season will compete in the tournament, with the winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The national tournament will begin on the weekend of May 19-21 at pre-determined sites.