University of Maine
UMass Lowell
Softball Sweeps Doubleheader at UMass Lowell
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
LOWELL, Mass. -- The University of Maine softball team (14-15, 3-2 America East) swept doubleheader action from UMass Lowell (10-20, 0-5 AE), winning by scores of 7-0 and 5-4 in eight innings, on Saturday afternoon.
EmJ Fogel (Vienna, Va.) led the way on offense, starting the day with six-straight hits and ending 6-for-8 with two doubles, three RBI and a pair of runs.
Maine matched a season-high with 14 hits in game one, including a 4-for-4 showing from Fogel, leading to a 7-0 victory. Fogel scored two runs in the victory while Nikki Byron (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) added three hits and an RBI and Jessica Burk (Warrenton, Va.) drove in a pair.
Alexis Bogdanovich (South Portland, Maine) was again impressive in the circle, tossing her fifth shutout of the season and surrendering just one hit while fanning 13 to pick up her eighth win of the season. Bogdanovich carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth until Alisha Welch singled for UMass Lowell's lone hit of the opener.
The game remained scoreless until Maine pushed across a run in the top of the fourth when Fogel's double through the right side brought in Felicia Lennon (Brookfield, Conn.) from third.
The Black Bears added another run in the top of the fifth when Kristen Koslosky (Castro Valley, Calif.) crossed the plate after Rachel Carlson (Tampa, Fla. reached on an error by the River Hawks' second baseman.
Maine distanced itself with a three-run top of the sixth. Fogel led off the inning with a single into right before later scoring on Shelby Obert's (Skowhegan, Maine) single through the left side. Maine kept the pressure on when Byron brought in Obert on a double and advanced to third on the throw to the plate. Byron scored soon after when Faythe Goins (Elgin, S.C.) drove in her first career run with a single to second.
The Black Bears extended their lead to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Janelle Bouchard (Kennebunk, Maine) started the rally with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a single from Fogel. Burk brought in both runs with a double down the left field line.
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It took extra frames in game two but the Black Bears were able to capture the doubleheader sweep with a 5-4 victory in Saturday's finale. Maine took advantage of a UMass Lowell error in the eighth inning when Goins reached on the mishap, scoring pinch-runner Chloe Douglass (Orono, Maine) with the game-winning run.
Fogel and Lennon each went 2-for-4 in game two, driving in two runs and one run, respectively. Rachel Harvey (Southington, Conn.) added a 2-for-3 showing with an RBI as her single in the eighth eventually became the winning run.
Maine's offense remained hot, getting off to a great start in game two with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Erika Leonard (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Carlson each reached to start the frame before Lennon's single plated Leonard. Carlson would be erased on a fielder's choice from Bouchard but Fogel's fifth hit of the day, a single through the left side, brought in Lennon.
UMass Lowell cut the Black Bear lead in half when Mikayla Powlowsky reached on a fielder's choice, bringing in Ariana Darcy.
The Black Bears answered with two more runs in the top of the third. Lennon began the inning with a single before taking second and scoring on Fogel's double down the left field line. Harvey followed with a double of her own to bring in Bouchard, extending Maine's lead to 4-1.
The River Hawks put together single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, playing great defense along the way to keep Maine off the board, to tie the score at 4-4 and send the game into extra innings.
Maine's offense got back on track in the top of the eighth as Harvey led off with a single and moved to second on a sac-bunt from Obert. Douglass came in to pinch run for Harvey before Goins stepped in as a pinch-hitter and ripped a ball down the third base line, off the third basemen's glove, and into short left field. Douglass came around to score, giving Maine a 5-4 edge.
The Black Bears kept UMass Lowell off the board in the bottom of the eighth to take the league victory.
Annie Kennedy (Sound Beach, N.Y.) picked up the win in relief, going 3.0 innings while giving up one run on three hits. Erin Bogdanovich (South Portland, Maine) started the game for Maine, giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits over 5.0 innings with three strikeouts.
Maine and UMass Lowell close the series with a single game on Sunday at noon.
-U-M-
