PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University dropped a pair of Little East Conference (LEC) softball games to league-leading University of Southern Maine at D&M Park on Saturday.
 
Plymouth State, celebrating its Senior Day and commencement on the same day, falls to 14-10 (9-5 LEC), while Southern Maine improves to 29-2-1 and 15-1 in the Little East. The Huskies captured the regular season title and top seed for the upcoming LEC Tournament. PSU is locked into the third seed for the tournament, regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's conference games at Western Connecticut State University.
 
Between games, Plymouth State recognized its graduating class – Mina Shaw (Mars, Pa.), Bri Chase (Woodstock, N.H.), Caitlyn Miller (Lee, N.H.) and Jen Landers (Berlin, N.H.).
 
The Basics:

• Game 1: Plymouth State 0, Southern Maine 9
• Game 2: Plymouth State 2, Southern Maine 4
  • Plymouth State (14-10, 9-5 LEC)
  • Southern Maine (29-2-1, 15-1 LEC)

 
How it Happened (Game One):

• Southern Maine took advantage of a hit batter and throwing error to score twice in the first. Freshman Alexis Michon (Montville, Conn.) singled with two down in the bottom of the inning but was left on first.
• USM pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third with a two-out rally.
• Shaw reached on a bunt hit to open the bottom of the third and moved to second on a ground out, but after a foul out she was nabbed trying to steal third.
• The Huskies used four hits and a pair of errors to plate four runs in the sixth. Freshman Vanessa Bryan (Stoneham, Mass.) singled to start the bottom half and was sacrificed to second and junior Niah Colby (Lunenburg, Vt.) worked a walk, but USM retired the next two batters.
• Southern Maine added a pair of runs in the seventh and Plymouth State was unable to rally in its last at bat.

By the Numbers (Game One):

• Plymouth State was limited to three hits – singles by Michon, Shaw and Bryan.
• Colby, Landers and sophomore Sam McCann (Berlin, N.H.) each walked.
• Miller went 5.2 innings allowing just two earned runs, but four PSU errors resulted in five unearned runs to cross the plate. Freshman Nicole LeBrun (Concord, N.H.) went the final 1.1.

 
How it Happened (Game Two):

• After Michon retired the side in order in the top of the first, including two strikeouts, Shaw reached on a perfect bunt to start the home half. A sacrifice moved her into scoring position and Michon reached on a Huskies' error to put runners on second and third. Junior Emily Picard (Berlin, N.H.) walked to load the bases, but USM got a key strikeout for the second out of the inning.
• Shaw's aggressiveness on the basepaths paid off when she scored on a wild pitch and a walk reloaded the bases, but the Huskies got a popup to escape further trouble.
• PSU put two in scoring position with one out in the second after walks to junior Lauren Archambault (Rehoboth, Mass.) and Colby and a sacrifice from Shaw. Chase was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Michon plated one run with an RBI groundout to make it 2-0. Picard followed with a liner to right that was caught, keeping the Panthers from tacking on extra runs.
• USM rallied in the fourth to tie the game and neither team would do much offensively until the seventh. With one down, USM took the lead on a solo home run down the left field line.
• Colby started the bottom of the inning with a double to left center and after an out, junior Katie Burk (East Islip, N.Y.) singled to put runners on the corners. USM escaped, though, getting a strikeout and foul out to earn the win.

By the Numbers (Game Two):

• Shaw, Burk and Colby had the only hits for PSU, while Picard, Bryan, Archambault and Colby all walked.
• Michon went 6.1 innings, allowing nine hits and four runs. She fell to 8-4 on the year. Freshman Jersey Strum (Somersworth, N.H.) recorded the final two outs.

 
Up Next:

• Plymouth State wraps up the regular season with a pair of conference games at Western Connecticut State University tomorrow (May 9).