FARMINGTON – The University of Maine at Farmington softball team (4-20, 1-9) showed a lot of heart on Friday afternoon by coming back twice in a doubleheader with New England College, but the Pilgrims took the lead late in the game for the sweep. NEC scored three runs in each contest and took game one, 3-2, and then, 3-1, in the nightcap.
New England College produced a run in their first at-bat with an RBI single but Farmington answered right back in the bottom of the frame with a pair of runs. Meryl Bond (Jefferson, Maine) launched a triple off the center field wall and later came home to score on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Kennadi Grover (Cushing, Maine) drove home UMF’s second run of the inning with an infield ground out.
Starter Emily Vitone (Westminster, Mass.) battled out of some tight jams in the late innings but the Pilgrims caused some serious trouble in the top of the seventh. The Pilgrims managed to get a pair of runs on two hits to overtake UMF.
The two squads scored in each of their first trips to the plate again in the second game. After NEC got a run on a sacrifice fly, Bond drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first and came around to score when Katie Clark (Westbrook, Maine) roped a triple to left field.
NEC manufactured a run in the third inning and then added an insurance run in the fifth for the two-run victory.
Clark was 2-for-5 on the afternoon with a run scored and one RBI. Vitone pitched two complete games with three combined strikeouts in the twinbill outing.
Farmington hosts Castleton State on Saturday for a doubleheader at Prescott Field.
