UMBC

Orono, Maine - The University of Maine softball team completed a sweep of league rival UMBC as they won both ends of a doubleheader today.

In the first game, junior Jenna Merchant threw a complete game shutout allowing just two hits to lead Maine to a 2-0 win. In the second game, sophomore Brittany Cheney hit the game-winning single to score freshman pinch runner Tara Vilardo a 4-3 win in the seventh inning.

Maine is now 18-14 on the year and 6-3 in America East action, while UMBC dropped to 20-26 on the season and 1-9 in conference play.

In the first game, Maine scored in the second inning when senior Sara Asadoorian hit an RBI single through the right side to bring in sophomore Dana Grimm who reached on an infield single. UMBC had a solid opportunity in the fourth inning when Merchant gave up a single and a pair of walks to load the bases. However, UMBC was not able to convert on the scoring opportunity and left three runners on base in the inning.

A second run was scored for the Black Bears in the bottom of the fourth when Vilardo scored again off an RBI single by Grimm. Merchant gave up just two hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and four walks. She is now 5-2 on the year.

Maine had a 3-2 lead going into the seventh inning of the second game, but UMBC was able to tie it up with two outs when pinch runner Kristi Troster reached third on a wild pitch and scored later on an error by Cheney. However, in the bottom of the seventh, junior Shannon Sirois singled to right field and advanced to second on a single from sophomore Erin Provost. Vilardo came in as a pinch runner for Sirois and reached third on a wild pitch. That set up the winning run on Cheney’s line shot to left field.