UMaine took both games (1-0, 4-3) in Saturday’s doubleheader at Kessock Field before dropping the finale on Sunday 11-8.

Game one of Saturday’s double-header pitted UMaine’s ace Jenna Balent against Albany’s Leah McIntosh in a pitcher’s duel that was decided in the first inning of the game. Kali Burnham scored the game’s only run following a single of her own when, in the bottom of the first, Terren Hall bashed an RBI double. While the Black Bears only managed one more hit in the game, a slap hit up the middle by Brynne Davis, it would be all they needed with Balent on the mound.

Balent scattered four hits during the game, walking only one and hitting one while tallying four strikeouts.

Game two of the twin bill was an offensive battle in the late innings that came down to the last at-bat of the game. The scoring started in the top of the fourth when Albany’s Meagan Butsch smashed a pitch over the left field wall, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

UMaine responded in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of some Albany mistakes in the process. The inning opened with catcher Stephanie George at the plate, who reached first when Great Danes pitcher Marissa Powell balked. After a Kirstin Allen sac bunt, Davis slapped a hit, reaching first and advancing pinch runner Melinda Corssino to third. Alexis Souhlaris followed up with a walk to load the bases for Kali Burnham, who knocked a two-run single up the middle.

The inning didn’t end offensively for the Black Bears, as Ashley Waters, batting with only one out, hit a deep pop-up to center, allowing Souhlaris to tag up and score the team’s third run.

With UMaine leading 3-1, Albany immediately bounced back at the top of the sixth as Butsch hit her second solo homerun of the game. The Great Danes followed with a single, a hit by pitch and an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the 7th.

After a quick 1-2-3 top of the seventh for Balent, Maine came up once again facing Albany ace McIntosh who was brought in for Powell in the bottom of the sixth. Allen led off the inning with a sharp double down the first base line. Lindsey Jenkins pinch-ran and advanced to third when Souhlaris got a bunt hit. With the winning run on third, Burnham once again came to bat with the opportunity to score some runs, and she didn’t disappoint as she soon hit a walk-off single to take game two.

Sunday’s game three was another battle of the bat as the two aces, Balent and McIntosh, again took the mound for the rubber game. UMaine got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with Kristen Calvetti hitting an RBI single to right to score Waters who had walked earlier in the frame.

Three straight two-out singles in the bottom of the second by Davis, Souhlaris and Burnham brought up Waters who knocked a double to right field, scoring two.

Hall kept the scoring going with her own double to score Waters and Burnham, giving Maine a 5-0 lead heading into the third inning.

The Great Danes answered in the top of the third when a walk, double and triple scored their first two runs of the game. Another double brought in two more runs and chased Balent from the game after just 2 2/3 innings, as she was replaced by Ashley Kelley who forced a ground-out to end the inning.

With a 7-4 lead in the last inning, Albany came back, tying the game and taking the lead when Kristine Bill hit a grand slam.

UMaine scored once in the bottom half, but that’s all they could muster.

UMaine closed out their home schedule for 2009 this weekend and battled their way to the top of the America East in hopes of the playoffs.

Next Saturday, the team heads to the University of Vermont for their final three games of the regular season.