University of Maine
Hartford
Two Walk-Offs Lead Softball to Doubleheader Sweep of Hartford
4/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine softball team (18-17, 7-4 America East) picked up a pair of walk-off wins over visiting Hartford (3-39, 0-13 AE) on Saturday afternoon. Felicia Lennon's (Brookfield, Conn.) grand-slam gave Maine a walk-off 8-0 win in six-innings in game one before Nikki Byron's (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) RBI bloop single in the bottom of the seventh gave Maine a 5-4 win in game two.
Alexis Bogdanovich (South Portland, Maine) picked up both wins in the circle for Maine, going the distance in game one before coming on in relief to score the game two win. The senior hurler was brilliant in game one, tossing her sixth shutout of the year while fanning 12 and giving up just two hits. Boganovich picked up her 12th victory of the year in game two, going just 0.1 innings in relief and striking out the only batter she faced.
In game one, Maine threatened through much of the first few innings before finally breaking through in the bottom of fifth. Leonard broke the scoreless tie with her fourth home run of the year, a solo shot to left center, giving the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.
The Black Bears put the game away with seven runs in the home half of the sixth. Jessica Burk (Warrenton, Va.) came off the bench and ripped a pinch-hit double off the top of the fence in left, plating a pair. After moving over to third on a wild pitch, Burk later came in to score on a bloop single to center by Leonard. Rachel Carlson's (Tampa, Fla.) infield single loaded the bases before Lennon blasted a walk-off grand slam, giving the Black Bears an 8-0, six-inning run-rule victory.
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Maine trailed 4-2 in the sixth inning in game two but was able to knot the score with a pair of runs in the home half of the sixth before winning it with a run in the seventh.
Faythe Goins (Elgin, S.C.) started the scoring for the Black Bears when her double to the gap in right center brought in Janelle Bouchard (Kennebunk, Maine) and Chloe Douglass (Orono, Maine), giving Maine a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Hartford answered with its first runs of the day in a four run top of the fifth. Jenice Aloyo began the rally with an RBI single through the left side before Jamie Soles put the Hawks on top with a three-run homer to left.
Trailing 4-2, the Black Bears went to work in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on second and third, Shelby Obert (Skowhegan, Maine) sent a slow roller out in the front of the plate. Hartford's first baseman scooped up the ball and tried to catch Sarah Coyne (Newtown, Pa.) at the plate. However, Coyne was able to slide in under the tag and everyone was safe. Leonard tied the game shortly after with a deep sac-fly to right, bringing in Kristen Koslosky (Casto Valley, Calif.).
Maine walked off for the second time in the day in the bottom of the seventh when Byron's bloop single into short right brought in Lennon from third.
Erin Bogdanovich (South Portland, Maine) started game two in the circle for Maine, going 4.0 innings and giving up four runs on six hits and a walk with one strikeout. Annie Kennedy (Sound Beach, N.Y.) went 2.2 innings of one-hit relief with four strikeouts before Alexis Bogdanovich picked up her 12th win, tossing 0.1 innings and striking out one.
Maine closes its season-series with Hartford tomorrow at 11 a.m. Prior to the contest, Maine will honor its six seniors for their dedication over the past four years to the University of Maine.
-U-M-
