Nedeau's homer sparks Panthers in opener 

            NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Senior Kortney Nedeau (Kennebunk, Maine) blasted a three-run home run in the first inning of the first game Saturday afternoon, and Plymouth State University went on to a 4-2 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  The host Corsairs rebounded with a 2-1 triumph in the nightcap to earn a split of the Little East Conference softball doubleheader at the UMD Athletic Complex.

            Nedeau's home run was her third of the season and the 19th of her career, one shy of the PSU all-time record of 20, set by Adriene Harvey from 2000-03.  Junior Allie Luisi (North Kingstown, R.I.) added an RBI double in the second inning for the Panther offense, and freshman Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) limited the Corsairs to no runs on two hits, a walk and a hit-batter over the first six innings.

            UMD rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on two Panther errors and a two-run double by junior Hannah Rounds (Lincoln, R.I.), but White retired the next two batters to end the game.  White struck out nine while evening her record at 5-5.

            Plymouth State managed just one run on four hits off UMD pitcher Brittany Eldridge (Raynham, Mass.) in the second game.  The Panthers plated their only run in the fourth inning when Luisi singled, stole second and came home on a pair of infield grounders.  UMD plated an unearned run in the third inning following a wild pitch and an infield error, and junior Kaitlin Hogan (Tewksbury, Mass.) delivered the game-winning hit in the fifth inning with a clutch two-out RBI double.

            Freshman Nora Galvin (Windham, N.H./Salem) was a tough-luck loser for PSU, allowing only six hits and one earned run in 5.1 innings while striking out eight.  Eldridge earned the win for UMD with a complete-game four-hitter, fanning two and not walking a batter.

            PSU will be back in action Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader at Castleton State College.  UMD will host Keene State on Sunday in an LEC make-up twinbill. 

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