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After a six-game homestand, the University of Maine softball team will hit the road for two weekends, starting with a three-game series against Binghamton University beginning with a Saturday double-header scheduled to start 1 p.m.
The Black Bears entered the weekend on the wrong cleat after dropping three straight games to the University of Albany. The sweep brought their record to 16-25 and evened their America East Conference record at 6-6.
The Black Bears’ primary problem over the weekend was their work at the plate. Besides Saturday’s second game where UMaine went for 13-39 with seven runs, the Black Bears managed only seven hits in 49 at bats in the other two games.
For the season, the Black Bears sit at .240 at the plate, raising that batting average to .271 during AEC play.
The Black Bears’ offense has been anchored by three upperclassmen: seniors third baseman Terren Hall and left fielder Kali Burnham, and junior shortstop Jennifer Eberhardt. While Eberhardt and Burnham are tied for the team lead in hits at 41 a piece, Burnham leads the team with a .345 batting average, while Eberhardt has crossed home safely 31 times.
As for Hall, the captain leads the team in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and stolen bases.
On the mound, the Black Bears also boast a group of three; junior Ashley Kelley, sophomore Beth Spoehr and freshman Kylie Sparks have done the majority of the pitching, with Spoehr leading the team with eight wins, a 3.61 earned run average and 4.4 strikeouts per game.
They’ll have the tough task of slowing down Binghamton sophomore outfielder Jessica Phillips. The Stony Brook University transfer is batting .500 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs and has a slugging percentage of 1.023. The Bearcats sit tied for second in AEC with a 6-3 record and sit at 17-14 for the season.
