Posted: Apr 27, 2014
The University of Maine at Farmington softball team reached the 10-win mark in North Atlantic Conference play for the first time since 2009 with a "Senior Day" doubleheader sweep of Johnson State College, 8-0 and 9-1, Sunday afternoon at Prescott Field.
SOFTBALL
Game 1 – UMaine-Farmington 8, Johnson State 0
Game 2 – UMaine-Farmington 9, Johnson State 1
Game 1 – UMaine-Farmington 8, Johnson State 0
Game 2 – UMaine-Farmington 9, Johnson State 1
The Beavers improved to 14-10 overall with the wins, 10-4 in NAC play. Johnson State fell to 6-19 overall, 5-8 in conference games.
UMaine-Farmington last reached a double-digit total versus conference foes in 2009, when the Beavers were 10-4 in the NAC. UMF softball was 17-13 that season, which also marks the last time the Beavers finished the regular season with a .500-or-better winning percentage. Farmington has just two games remaining on its regular season slate, assuring it of a .500 finish.
Sophomore Emily Soule pitched a one-hit gem with four strikeouts to lead the Beavers to the win in game one, improving her record to 7-4 on the season.
The Beavers did most of their offensive work in the third inning, scoring five runs on six hits. Senior Amy Jones sacrificed home fellow senior Jillian Withee for the first Farmington run, and Katie Clark doubled home Soule to give the Beavers a 2-0 lead.
Freshman Kennadi Grover belted a triple down the right field line to plate both Clark and Jones, doubling the Farmington lead to 4-0. Hannah Lust capped the scoring with a ground out to third that allowed Grover to come home.
Farmington tacked on three runs in the sixth to close the game. Soule singled up the middle to score Shelby Bryant, who got aboard with a double down the left field line. Clark laced a single into center field, plating Jones and Dayle Jordan for the final two Beaver runs.
Jones went 3-for-3 in game one, while Clark was 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Johnson State starter Andrea Williams was tagged with the loss, after allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits. Badger catcher Amanda McLean produced the lone Johnson State hit, a leadoff single in the third inning.
UMaine-Farmington put up four runs in the first inning of game two to take a commanding lead. Meryl Bond doubled home two of those runs with a shot into right center, and Withee's single up the middle allowed Bond to cross later in the frame.
Clark slammed her third home run of the season in the third inning, also plating Jones who reached on a leadoff single. Grover reached base later in the inning on a Johnson State error, and later scored on Haley Berry's grounder to second.
Withee plated Farmington's first run in the fifth on a single through the right side of the infield, and Berry closed out the game with a double to right field that scored pinch runner Jordan.
Johnson State's lone run came in the fourth on a solo home run by Sarah Voorhis.
Freshman Courtney Fowler pitched the Beavers to the win in game two, fanning three Badger batters and allowing just five hits in the complete game victory.
Johnson State starter Alex Macey yielded nine runs on seven hits in game two, but only two of those runs were earned.
UMaine-Farmington concludes the regular season on Tuesday, April 29, when it faces Bowdoin College at 3:30 p.m. in Brunswick, Maine. Johnson State will also conclude its regular season on Tuesday at home with a NAC game against Husson University.