STANDISH, Maine - Sophomores Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) and Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) each set career-highs in strikeouts and the University of Southern Maine Huskies combined for 34 hits over two games to sweep the Saint Joseph's College Monks 11-10 (13 innings) and 12-1 in a non-conference softball doubleheader Wednesday evening at Richard W. Bailey Field.
Senior Kaitlyn Nelson (Guildhall, Vermont/White Mountains Regional) was 7-for-12 from the plate over two games, scoring two runs and driving in three – including the game-winner in game one. Sophomore Madison Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) and junior Lauren Leidemann-Smith (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) had five hits each. Day had three RBI, while Leidemann-Smith had four.
THE BASICS:
Records:
Southern Maine (6-9)
Saint Joseph's (4-8)
Pitching Game 1 – Southern Maine 11, Saint Joseph's 10 (13 innings)
Winning Pitcher: SM, Lauren Merrill (3-3), 13.0 IP, 10 runs (4 earned), 9 hits, 5 walks, 12 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: SJC, Sydney Hatch (1-3), 5.1 IP, 3 runs, 7 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Pitching Game 2 –Southern Maine 12 Saint Joseph's 1
Winning Pitcher: SM, Belle Snyder (2-2) 7.0 IP, 1 run, 2 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher SJC, Emily Eagleston (2-2), 5.2 IP, 7 runs (6 earned), 16 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME ONE: USM 11, SJC 10 – 13 innings
- Miller went the full 13 innings and struck out 12 batters, a career-high, and the Huskies closed out a marathon extra-inning game to win game one of the doubleheader.
- With the Huskies trailing 3-2 in the fourth, senior Kaitlyn Nelson (Guildhall, Vermont/White Mountains Regional) laced an RBI single to center field to tie the score up. After Nelson's game-tying RBI, Miller kept SJC off of the scoreboard limiting the Monks to just two singles over their next four turns at the plate.
- Headed to extra innings, both the Huskies and the Monks matched each other in runs scored and settled in for six extra frames. Southern Maine junior Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine) gave the Huskies a 9-6 lead in the top of the 12 when she launched a three-run home run over the center field; however, SJC answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning, including a two-run double to left center from junior Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) to tie the game.
- In the 13th, the Huskies had the bases loaded and a walk issued to senior Lauren Miller (St. George, Maine/Camden Hill Regional) put USM up 10-9, before Nelson singled up the middle to put the Huskies up 11-9 for her fourth hit of the game.
- Merrill was solid in the 13th, giving up one run on a sac fly before getting the third out on a infield grounder.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME TWO: USM 12, SJC 1
- Nelson, freshman Morgan Roast (Gorham, Maine) and junior Lauren Leidemann-Smith (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) each had three hits while Leidemann-Smith had three RBI to lead the Huskies to a 12-1 win in game two.
- Sophomore Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) pitched a strong game for the Huskies going seven full and limiting Saint Joseph's to just two hits and a pair of walks. Snyder struck out a career-best seven in the win, improving to 2-2.
- After a scoreless three innings, the Huskies scored three runs in the top of fourth and led SJC 3-1 through the fifth. Roast, Nelson and sophomore MaKena Mulcahy (Auburn, Mass.) each had an RBI in the inning. Roast and Mulcahy each had a double.
- USM added four more runs in the top of the sixth to jump ahead 7-1 over the Monks. Leidemann-Smith, Shields and sophomore Madison Day (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) each had an RBI, including RBI singles from Shields and Day. In the home half of the sixth, Snyder sat the Monks down in order getting a foul out and back-to-back ground outs.
- The Huskies offense continued to roll in the seventh. Leidemann-Smith had a two-RBI single up the middle to drive in the first two of the Huskies' five runs in the inning. Day added an RBI ground out, while junior Brynn Hink (Porter, Maine/Sacopee) had a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side.
- Snyder stayed in front of SJC in the seventh, working around her only two walks of the game to keep SJC off the board for the 12-1 win.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will play at Rivier University on Saturday in a GNAC doubleheader slated to start at 1:00 PM.
COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE SPORTS INFORMATION
