BIDDEFORD, Maine – Trailing by six entering its final at bat, the Plymouth State University softball team plated three runs and brought the tying run to the plate before succumbing to the University of New England, 8-5, in game two of a doubleheader at Nor'easter Diamond on Tuesday evening. UNE rallied past the Panthers in the opener, 4-3.
Plymouth State got a pair of clutch two-out, two-strike hits from freshman
Jade Guertin (Burrillville, R.I.) and senior
Katie Burk (East Islip, N.Y.) to take a 3-2 lead in the middle innings of game one, but UNE responded with two unearned runs to steal a 4-3 win.
The Panthers held a 2-0 lead early in game two before the hosts scored eight straight runs to head to the seventh with an 8-2 advantage. PSU sent eight batters to the plate, trimming the deficit to 8-5 and bringing the tying run to the batter's box before a sharply hit ground ball ended the rally.
Plymouth State slips to 5-6, while UNE ends the day at 5-7.
The Basics:
- Game One: Plymouth State 3, UNE 4
- Game Two: Plymouth State 5, UNE 8
- Plymouth State (5-6)
- UNE (5-7)
How it Happened (Game One):
- UNE opened the scoring in the bottom of the third using a walk, double and triple to take a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Nicole LeBrun (Concord, N.H.) limited the damage to just the two runs after getting a big strikeout and ground ball to strand the runner at third.
- The Panthers came right back to take the lead the next half inning. Back-to-back walks and a passed ball put the tying runs in scoring position with two down. Guertin smoked a two-strike double down the left field line to tie the game and Burk followed with a two-strike hit of her own to put PSU up 3-2.
- The Nor'easters caught a break in the bottom of the inning when two runners scored on a dropped fly ball that would have ended the inning as the hosts went back ahead, 4-3.
- Plymouth State got the tying run on base in both the fifth and sixth innings but was unable to drive in the tying run.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Senior Niah Colby (Lunenburg, Vt.), junior Sam McCann (Berlin, N.H.) and freshman Samantha Fancher (Gales Ferry, Conn.) all singled, along with Burk's base hit and Guertin's double.
- McCann also reached base on a walk.
- The Panthers were 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts.
- LeBrun (2-2) allowed two earned and struck out three over her 3.2 innings of work. McCann allowed just one hit over the final 2.1 and picked up a pair of huge strikeouts as UNE attempted to tack on with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth to keep it a one-run game.
- LeBrun hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of her six appearances this year.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- Plymouth State took advantage of a UNE miscue to grab a second inning lead. McCann reached on a fielding error and a hit batter put two on to start the frame. After a sacrifice moved both runners up, sophomore Jersey Strum (Somersworth, N.H.) singled down the right field line for a 1-0 lead.
- PSU put together a two-out rally to extend the lead in the third. McCann smacked a double and junior Rachyl Parslow (Temple, N.H.) knocked her in with a single to center.
- UNE answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to knot the game at 2-2.
- The Nor'easters pulled ahead with a run in the fourth, then used a two-out rally to extend the lead to 5-2 in the fifth.
- The hosts thought they had put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth, but Plymouth State battled back. Freshman Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine) led off with a double and after an out, classmate Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) ripped a two-bagger to the left center field gap. An infield popup was the second out, but Parslow doubled and Guertin singled to make it 8-5. Strum reached on an error to put runners on the corners and bring the tying run to the plate, but the UNE shortstop handled a hard grounder to escape the jam.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Montelongo, Parslow and Strum all had two hits, while PSU hammered four doubles in the game.
- Pelletier (double, walk) and Colby (two walks) also reached base twice.
- Sophomore Alyssa Wilson (Haverhill, Mass.) struck out six over 4.2 innings, but slipped to 2-1. Pelletier struck out one over the final 1.1 innings.
Up Next:
- The Panthers visit Fitchburg State University for a pair of non-conference games on Saturday (Mar. 26). First pitch is set for noon.
– 30 –
