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The University of Maine softball team spent the weekend in Piscataway, N.J. at Rutgers University. On Saturday, the Black Bears split a doubleheader with the hosting Scarlet Knights, then on Sunday they defeated St. Peter’s College by a score of 2-0. The team improved their record to 15-15 on the season.
The Black Bears came out on top in the opener with a score of 4-3, but fell in their second game against the Knights by a score of 7-3. One of the many standout freshmen on this year’s squad, Alexis Souhlaris, led UMaine’s offense in the win, going 2-3 and knocking in a pair of runs. Senior Tara Vilardo also provided a lift with a solo home run to tie the score in the fifth inning. The score remained tied until the final inning, when Ashley Waters hit a single to right field to drive in outfielder Kate Joseph, who had reached with a single earlier in the inning. Getting the win was freshman pitcher Christine McGivney [4-5], who struck out two and allowed just one hit in her four innings of relief work.
Freshman catcher Whitney Spangler was the offensive leader in the second game, with a pair of RBIs, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the four-run deficit. Jenna Balent went six innings but took the loss, allowing seven runs on 14 hits.
On Sunday, the team evened their record before America East play begins, with a win over the Peahens from Saint Peter’s. Freshman pitcher Jessica Ghazali continued her fantastic rookie season, improving her record to 6-2 with the win and allowing only three hits and one walk, while striking out one batter in seven full innings of work. UMaine’s two runs were scored in the first and fifth innings, both by Vilardo. She got help with hits from Spangler and Kristie Hawkins – who got the RBI – in the first, and Spangler, who hit a double to bring Vilardo in to score in the fifth. Spangler finished the tournament with a .364 batting average and three RBIs. Waters also batted .364 in the three games.
UMaine returns to action next weekend, when it begins America East play with a three-game series at UMBC in Baltimore, MD. The series will get underway with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon and the set will conclude with a single game on Sunday.
Bangor Daily News