Split at UNE leaves Seahawks, Nor'easters tied in CCC standings

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England scored a run in the bottom of the 5th and two more in the 6th to flip a two-run deficit into a 5-4 victory over Salve Regina University in the nightcap of a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball doubleheader on Tuesday (Apr. 7) at Claude Dubois Field. SRU took the opener, 11-3.

The Seahawks (10-10) out-hit the Nor'easters (12-9) by a 28-10 margin on the day, but the teams ended up staying tied in the CCC standings, both now at 6-2.

Lexi Soucie began GAME TWO with an RBI-single up the middle in the top of the 1st to plate Genevieve Benoit and put Salve up, 1-0.

UNE responded to grab its first lead of the afternoon with two in the last half of the frame. Paige Moore-Haskell and Amanda Vallante, who reached with one-out singles, accounted for the runs.

The Seahawks scored one to level things at 2-2 in the 3rd, before adding one in the 4th and another in the 5th to take a 4-2 edge. Soucie knocked in Benoit (after a lead-off double to center) again with a sacrifice fly to level it, and Benoit had the two-out single that scored Nikki Bukovsky for the lead. Soucie started the 5th with a double to left-center, and after two outs, Skye Hart doubled to left to pick up the RBI.

The Nor'easters got one back in the bottom of the 5th, when Meghan Bolano scored on a groundout by Cat Ouellette. For the first time in the game, Big Blue stranded runners (2) on base and was unable to get closer.

UNE then received hits from Vallante and Adrienne Chase to begin the home half of the 6th, and a hit batter ended the outing for SRU starter Kelsey Boarman. Nicole Parry entered for the Seahawks and wild pitch allowed Vallante to scamper 60 feet to knot the game at 4-4. An eight-pitch at-bat by Bolano resulted in a walk, and after two outs, Ouellette drew another free pass to force in Chase from third with the go-ahead run.

Salve Regina, which had totaled 14 hits and left 10 on base through the initial six sessions, went down, in order, against Sara Pelkey in the top of the 7th as the Nor'easters secured the decision. Pelkey struck out two without conceding a walk to improve her record to 3-1.

Benoit led the Seahawks with three hits. Four players, in addition to Soucie, recorded two hits: Hart, Melissa Figueiredo, Kara O'Riley, and Francesca Galeazzi.

Eight different players tallied hits for SRU in GAME ONE, paced by Bukovsky with three, which included a three-run homer to right-center in the 2nd and an RBI-double to center in the 7th.

Benoit added a two-RBI double to right-center in the 6th (one of two hits) and scored twice. O'Riley parked a two-run shot over the fence in center on her lone hit; Soucie, Lindsay DelGrego, and Lauren Fountain also notched two hits apiece. Galeazzi, Figueiredo, and Hart combined to cross the plate seven times.

In the circle for the Seahawks, Parry fanned four to get to 6-4 on the year.

For UNE, Kelly Murphy had two hits and two RBI, while Sydney Helmbrecht registered two hits to extend her hitting streak (which ended in game two) to 15 games. Katelyn Austin turned in the other Big Blue hit, and Abby Lambert took the setback, posting two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Bukovsky's home run in the top of the 2nd gave the visitors a 4-1 advantage at the time. Salve finished strong with two in the 5th, three in the 6th, and two more in the 7th to pull away.

Both squads return to the diamond Thursday for non-league doubleheaders. The Nor'easters host the University of Southern Maine (3 p.m.), while the Seahawks entertain Eastern Connecticut State University (4 p.m.).