Lady Owls end March with wins

    ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine at Presque Isle softball team picked up their first two wins of the season in a March 21 double-header against Maine Maritime Academy of Castine, ME. With the pair of victories, the Owls move to 2-0 on the season.
In the first game of the afternoon, the Owls earned the 17-15 win over the Mariners.     UMPI got off to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to an RBI triple by sophomore Brittany Humphrey (New Gloucester, ME), which was followed by an Erica Davis (North Yarmouth, ME) RBI single. MMA regained the lead as they went ahead 10-4 in the bottom of the 2nd, but the Owls fought back with a pair of singles from pitcher Nicole Russell (Newcastle, ME) and Cassie Green (Truro, NS), and a two-RBI homerun by Davis.
The Mariners held the Owls in the 6th, while going ahead by two runs. Freshman Desiree Smith (Thomaston, ME) led the top of the 7th inning with a walk, and was knocked in with a two-RBI homerun by Brittany Humphrey, tying the game at 15 apiece. Davis earned a base hit to first, followed by a pair of singles from Kathleen Higgins (Cole Harbour, NS) and Emily Moore (Lisbon, ME), which scored Davis.
Green finished off the solid inning, earning an RBI single to bring the run total to 17. In all, five runs were scored in the top of the 7th inning to give the Owls the win.
Russell, along with a tough defensive effort, held MMA in the bottom of the inning; as she went on to earn her first win of the season. In a seven inning effort, she struck out seven, walked six, and allowed 14 hits.
In the second game, the Lady Owls again jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the top of the 2nd inning.
The Mariners sparked a comeback in the 4th and 5th scoring two runs in each inning, but came up short as UMPI put three more runs on the board early in the 5th to earn the 8-4 win over the Mariners. Davis and Green led their team with two-hits apiece, both singles, and Green also earned an RBI in the win. Danielle Humphrey (New Gloucester, ME) and Moore both finished the game with RBI singles.
Moore earned her first collegiate win as a pitcher, completing five innings with five strikeouts, allowing only one walk and eight hits on the day.
The Lady Owls traveled to Virginia on March 23 for the start of their big spring trip. UMPI took on Southern Virginia University in an afternoon double-header.
At Staten Island, N.Y., on March 22, Cory Harding and Brandon Elie each pitched a three-hitter as the University of Maine-Presque Isle capped off a four-game weekend sweep of the State University of New York at Canton. The Owls won the Sunday doubleheader 5-1 and 2-1 after winning Saturday by scores of 7-6 and 10-6.
In Sunday’s first game, Tyson Tash had an RBI double and Seth Dorr and Harding each hit an RBI single during a three-run second-inning rally that gave UMPI (4-8) the lead for good.
In the second game, Elie required just 74 pitches for his complete game. The Owls scored both of their runs in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by A.J. Pennartz and a sacrifice fly by James Cirrel.
In Saturday’s first game, Tash plated the winning run with a sacrifice fly that completed a four-run seventh-inning rally. Kaleb Hale earned the complete-game pitching win, allowing just two earned runs while striking out seven.
In the second game, Brandon Boulware earned the pitching win, backed by a 13-hit UMPI attack.
Harding tripled and singled twice while Elie had three singles. Tyler Delaney doubled and singled with three RBIs for the Owls and D.J. Charette chipped in with two singles.