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Softball Drops Doubleheader to Albany on Saturday
April 12, 2008
ALBANY, N.Y. - The University of Maine softball team dropped a doubleheader to Albany on Saturday afternoon at Albany Field in Albany, N.Y. The Black Bears fell by scores of 9-5 and 9-3 to drop to 5-33 on the season and 5-5 in America East. The Great Danes improved to 19-11 overall and 7-1 in the league. In the day's first game, Maine jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead following a half inning of play. The highlight of the opening frame for Maine was a three-run homer by Ashley Waters, which was her team-leading eighth of the season. Coming around to score on the blast was Alexis Souhlaris and Whitney Spangler, who reached base earlier in the frame on a single and error, respectively. Maine tacked on two more runs in the frame on a Kirstin Allen RBI single, which plated Terren Hall, and when Kali Burnham hit into a fielder's choice which enabled Kristen Calvetti to come home.
The Great Danes were able to hold Maine scoreless for the remainder of the game and score six runs over the initial three innings to earn the win. After scoring a pair of runs in the first inning, Albany exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third on a two-RBI double by right fielder Bailey Van Deest, and a two-run double by shortstop Andrianna Walraven. Albany tacked on a run in the fourth and two in the sixth to cap the scoring.
Maine out-hit Albany in the first game by a count of 9-8. Souhlaris, Spangler and Allen each had a pair of hits to pace the Maine offensive attack. Jenna Balent got the start in the pitching circle for Maine and suffered the loss after going just 4.0 innings and yielding seven runs on six hits with two walks and zero strikeouts. Cayleigh Montano came on in relief and worked 2.0 innings and allowed two runs on two hits. The beginning of the second game was opposite of the first as Albany jumped out to an early 4-0 lead following the first inning. The Great Danes added to their lead the following frame with two more tallies to take a 6-0 advantage. The Black Bears tried to claw their way back in the fourth inning with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to four (6-2). Maine scored both of its runs as Waters and Hall led off the frame with back-to-back solo homers. As she did in the first game, Waters pushed her team-leading homer total to nine. Waters also leads the team in runs batted in this season with 22. Hall smacked her seventh homer of the season (second on the team) and stands in second on the team in RBI with 21. Maine, as a team, has belted 29 home runs this season which is just three shy of the school record for homers in a single season. The current mark of 32 was set during the 2000 campaign. Six Black Bears on this season's team have hit multiple home runs, including three with at least five (Waters 9, Hall 7, Souhlaris 5). Maine pushed a third and final run across in the sixth on an Erin Iandoli RBI single which scored Jordan McLain. Souhlaris started as the pitcher for Maine and was tagged with the loss after allowing nine runs -- seven earned -- on eight hits over five innings of work. Maine and Albany close out the three-game series on Sunday with the finale, which is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. For more information on Maine softball, please visit www.GoBlackBears.com(.) |
