CASTINE – The University of Maine at Farmington climbed into a tie for third place in the North Atlantic Conference softball standings with a 7-5 and 8-3 doubleheader sweep of Maine Maritime Academy, Saturday afternoon at Ritchie Field.
Senior Amy Jones and freshman Kennadi Grover each tallied five hits and three runs batted in over the two victories, which improved the Beavers’ record to 7-5 overall, 5-3 in the NAC.
Maine Maritime fell to 4-14 overall, 0-10 in conference play, in the final two Division III softball games scheduled to be hosted by the Mariners. Maine Maritime is discontinuing its program at the end of this season.
In game one, the Mariners posted a run in the first inning when Andi Flannery led off with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch. The Beavers evened the game in the top of the second when Meryl Bond’s ground-rule double scored Grover.
Maine Maritime added three in the bottom of the third to take a 4-1 lead. Hayley Rae’s single scored Ally Martin, who reached on a leadoff double. Martin advanced to third on a Flannery base hit. Erica Taylor’s grounder to short plated Flannery, and Abby Yeo’s single to center brought in Rae.
Farmington answered again in the top of the fourth with three runs to even the game at 4-4. Back-to-back-to-back singles by Katie Clark, Grover, and Hannah Lust opened the frame and brought home one run, with additional runs scoring on an error and Meryl Bond’s sac fly to center.
The Beaver plated three more runs in the fifth. Grover drove in two runs with a bases loaded double to center, and Clark scored an unearned run on a two-out error on Bond’s grounder to short.
Flannery finished with three hits and two runs for the Mariners, while Grover was a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and Jones finished 3-for-4 for the Beavers. Sophomore Emily Soule fanned eight Mariners and issued no walks in the complete game win.
In game two, Farmington opened up with a 2-0 lead on a pair of runs in the first inning. Jones’ double scored Clark, and Grover batted Jones in with a single to centerfield.
After the Mariners plated three runs in the bottom of the first, the Beaver took the lead for good in the top of the second with three runs. Clark singled home Alison Hamilton to tie the game at 3-3, and Jones’ double into center field forced two more runs across for a 5-3 Farmington lead.
The Beavers added a single run in the fourth on Shelby Bryant’s RBI double to left field. Farmington tacked on two in the sixth on two hits and two errors for the final 8-3 margin of victory,
Bryant finished game with a 3-for-4 ledger at the plate, while Clark and Jones each had a pair of hits. Freshman Courtney Fowler scattered seven hits in the victory, logging six strikeouts with two walks.
Mariner starter Abby Yeo struck out 10 Farmington batters in the losing effort, allowing her eight earned runs on eight hits and three walks.
Farmington is slated to host Lyndon State in a NAC doubleheader on Monday, April 21, at Prescott Field.
