PROVO, Utah -- The University of Maine softball team continued its tough stretch as it dropped two more games to a ranked opponent on Wednesday evening. The Black Bears were swept in a doubleheader at No. 25 Brigham Young University, falling in game one 8-0 before suffering a 10-4 loss in the finale.

The games marked Maine's sixth contest against a ranked opponent in its last 10 games.

Meghan Royle roped a double and blasted her second home run of the spring, finishing the day with three hits, to lead the Maine offensive attack. Rachel Carlson added a pair of hits and an RBI while Erika Leonard, Maine's current leading hitter (.319), drove in a pair with a double.

In game one, BYU pushed across four runs in the third and fourth innings on its way to an 8-0 shortened five-inning affair with Maine.
 
Royle doubled and Carlson added a single and stole a base as Maine was able to muster just a pair of hits in the defeat.
 
Briielle Breland drove in the first run of the day on an RBI single before coming around to score on Lauren Bell's two-run single up the middle. Bell would later take advantage of a Maine throwing error to score the fourth run of the inning.
 
A two-run homers from Alexa Strid and Breland in the third put BYU up 8-0 after three innings.
 
Royle's looked to get something going for the Black Bears with her one out single in the fifth but Maine was unable to advance her, ultimately dropping the opener, 8-0.
 
Erin Bogdanovich took the loss for Maine, giving up eight runs, seven earned, on six hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts. Annie Kennedy was very good in her 2.0 innings of relief, surrendering just one hit while fanning three.

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In game two, Maine again dug itself into an early hole, trailing 7-0 after four, but clawed its way back into it before falling 10-4. Royle posted two hits, including a home run, while Leonard notched a double, driving in two and scoring a run.

Rylee Jensen began the scoring for the Cougars with a solo home run in the third. BYU went on to add six runs in the bottom of the fourth to carry a 7-0 lead into the top of the fifth.

Royle led off the top of the fifth by blasting her second home run of the spring over the wall in center. Maine continued its rally with back-to-back walks from Maddie Decker and Ashley Tinsman. Laurine German reached on a fielder's choice, erasing Tinsman at second, while pinch runner Chloe Douglass advanced to third. Leonard plated Douglass and German as she ripped a double to the power alley in right center for her team-leading fourth two-bagger of the season. Carlson followed by slapping a bloop single to short right to bring in Leonard, cutting the Cougar lead to 7-4.

A three-run bottom of the sixth from BYU extended the Cougar lead out to six, 10-4.

Maine was unable to cut into the lead in its final frame, falling by the 10-4 final.

Molly Flowers was credited with the loss after giving up eight runs on five hits with seven walks and one strikeout. Annie Kennedy gave up two runs on four hits in relief before Bogdanovich tossed the final 0.2 innings, giving up one hit and fanning one.

Maine travels to Missoula, Montana where it will compete in the Griz Classic beginning with a contest on Friday, March 17 against Seattle University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. EST.

-UMaine-