The University of Maine softball team dropped two of three at the University at Albany this past weekend, losing their first contest Saturday before splitting a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.
The Black Bears fall to 13-11 on the season and 5-3 in conference while the Great Danes improve to 12-7 and 3-2 in America East play.
MacFawn blanks Black Bears in game one
The Black Bears, who had scored at least nine runs per game during their four-game winning streak, struggled at the plate in Saturday’s contest. Albany senior starter Brittany MacFawn went the distance, allowing just two hits in seven innings of work and fanning 10 batters to improve to 6-4 on the season.
UMaine junior starter and America East Pitcher of the Week Alexis Bogdanovich struggled, going all six innings but surrendering four runs on nine hits.
Bogdanovich and MacFawn kept things quiet offensively for both teams through three innings before Albany senior first baseman Charlise Castro homered to left field, scoring senior infielder Emily Ostrom and giving the Great Danes a 2-0 lead.
The Black Bears threatened in the top of the fifth when freshman third baseman Shelby Obert reached second on an error and freshman first baseman Maddie Moore struck out but advanced to first when the ball got past the catcher, moving Obert to third. Freshman pinch runner Chloe Douglass advanced to second on a fielder’s choice before MacFawn settled down and retired her next two batters to end the threat.
Albany junior left fielder Vicky McFarland led off the bottom half of the inning by going yard, extending the lead to 3-0. Sophomore center fielder Kelly Costello doubled to left field and scored on an error by freshman left fielder Samantha Ralphs, securing the Albany victory. Costello led the Great Danes offensively, tallying two hits and scoring a run.
Late rally gives UMaine first victory of weekend before Albany takes rubber game
UMaine senior starter Hannah Hill scattered eight hits in a nine-inning effort in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, striking out 11 and improving her record to 6-1 on the season. Hill leads the Black Bears with 44 strikeouts this year.
Albany threatened early when junior center fielder Vicky McFarland singled to right field and advanced to third on a steal and a fielder’s choice. Sophomore shortstop Maggie Cocks reached on an infield single and made it to second but failed to score when Hill settled down and struck out Castro to retire the side.
MacFawn was a workhorse on the weekend, going the distance and giving up three runs, two earned on eight hits and fanning 10.
Timely pitching was the key to the game for both teams as neither was short on opportunities. The Black Bears left eight runners on base while Albany left 11, including three in the ninth.
The Great Danes loaded the bases in the third but Hill forced Cocks to ground out and fielded a fly ball from Castro to keep Albany off of the scorecard.
Hill retired the next nine batters she faced between the fourth and sixth innings, keeping Albany bats quiet and sending the game to extra innings.
The Black Bears finally got to MacFawn in the ninth, breaking her 15-inning scoreless streak.
Junior center fielder EmJ Fogel led off with a walk and Obert laid down a successful bunt to put runners on first and second. Freshman catcher Rachel Harvey reached on an error at third, scoring Fogel. Senior third baseman Jean Stevens ripped a double to center field, knocking in Obert and advancing Harvey to third. Ralphs took the Great Danes by surprise by laying down a successful bunt, scoring Harvey and giving the Black Bears a 3-0 lead.
Albany managed to put the winning run at the plate when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Costello flew out to end the game.
The Great Danes took the rubber match Sunday afternoon, led by freshman catcher Elizabeth Snow’s two-hit, three-RBI effort.
Bogdanovich picked up her second loss of the weekend, giving up five runs in two and a third innings of work.
The Great Danes got to her in the bottom of the first when Costello homered to left field before Cocks singled, stole second and scored on a single by Snow to give Albany an early 2-0 lead.
UMaine responded in the top of the second when Harvey doubled to the gap in right center and was knocked in by junior first baseman Nikki Byron. The Black Bears loaded the bases with two outs but the rally ended when freshman shortstop Felicia Lennon grounded out to third.
Albany struck again in the bottom of the third when McFarland reached on an infield single and stole second, advancing to third on a single from Costello. Costello stole second to get in scoring position and both baserunners scored when Snow ripped a double down the left field line.
Snow’s double prompted a pitching change for the Black Bears. Senior Kylie Sparks relieved Bogdonavich and allowed Snow to cross the plate on a sacrifice fly, giving Albany a 5-1 lead before Sparks recorded the final out of the inning.
The Black Bears scored twice with two outs in the top of the fourth thanks to some small ball.
Ralphs singled to left field and reigning America East Player of the Week junior second baseman Kristen Koslosky got on with a bunt. Both scored when reigning America East Rookie of the Week Felicia Lennon doubled down the left field line. Junior right fielder Jessica Burk followed her up with a single up the middle, scoring Lennon and Koslosky to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Albany wasted no time responding when junior left fielder Alexa Toole led off the bottom of the inning with a homerun to put the exclamation point on the weekend. Hill finished out the remainder of the game on the mound and did not allow a hit in her three innings of work, but UMaine was not able to get anything going offensively and fell 6-4.
The Black Bears return home for their home opener against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in a three-game set starting with a doubleheader next Saturday. Albany hosts Binghamton University Tuesday before traveling to Bryant University for a doubleheader this Wednesday.