Orono, Maine -- The first-place University of Maine softball team (13-18, 7-1 America East) looks to build on its current four-game win streak when it travels for a three-game set at UMBC (19-22, 3-5 AE) beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.
Maine and UMBC will square off in a single game on Friday before closing the series on Saturday with a doubleheader slated for an 11 a.m. first pitch.
The Black Bears have won four in a row and 10 of their last 11. Most recently, Maine battled back with a four-run top of the seventh to take a non-conference road game from Holy Cross, 5-4. Previously, Maine swept a three-game series from Stony Brook, winning by scores of 4-3, 3-2 and 8-0. The Black Bears walked off with victories in the first two games of the series before ending game three early by the eight run rule.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Alyssa Derrick, the reigning America East Player of the Week, has been red hot for Maine over her last nine games. Over that period, Derrick has improved her average from .197 to .286. In the nine game period, Derrick is batting .536 (14-28) with four home runs, 14 RBI and six runs. In conference games, Derrick is batting .538 with three home runs and 12 RBI.
Rachel Harvey has also been impressive at the plate against America East opponents as she enters the weekend at .500 with nine RBI and eight runs in conference matchups.
Overall, Derrick is the America East leader in home runs with 10 while slugging .626 on the season. She is hitting .286 on the year with a team-leading 26 RBI.
Rachel Carlson has been a consistent threat for the Black Bears. Carlson ranks fifth in the league at .367 with team-highs in hits (36) and stolen bases (12). Harvey is adding a .344 mark at the dish with 33 total hits, 17 RBI, 17 runs and a pair of home runs.
Meghan Royle checks in at .270 with three homers and three triples.
Erika Leonard leads the team with 21 runs out of the leadoff spot and a .264 mark with 19 RBI, 16 walks and six stolen bases.
Annie Kennedy is Maine's leader in wins as she is 5-3 in the circle with a 3.94 ERA after a complete game victory at Holy Cross. Kennedy has fanned 30 hitters in 65.2 innings.
Erin Bogdanovich, the reigning America East Pitcher of the Week, is 4-8 with a 4.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.
Molly Flowers also has four wins to go along with a 5.56 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 56.2 innings of work.
As a unit, the Black Bears are hitting .263 with a team-ERA of 4.89 and a fielding percentage at .935.
A LOOK AT UMBC:
The Retrievers are winners of five of their last seven but most recently dropped two of three at Albany. Maddie Daigneau, a three-time America East Rookie of the Week and two-time Player of the Week, leads the way for UMBC with a .406 average. Daigneau, who checks in third in the league in hitting, leads all America East batters with 52 hits to go along with 24 runs, 17 RBI and a team-leading 13 steals. Tori Alexander is batting .363 with 19 RBI and leads the team at 25 runs scored. Senior Kaelin Jackson is the power threat for UMBC with team-highs in RBI (22) and home runs (6) to go along with 24 runs and a .286 mark.
Kim Puccio, a three-time America East Pitcher of the Week, is the league's leader in ERA at 2.43. Puccio is 9-7 on the year with 61 strikeouts in 92.0 innings. Jessica Holte is 5-8 with a 3.47 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 84.2 innings. The Retrievers lead the league with a 3.53 team ERA.
INSIDE THE SERIES:
The Black Bears are 25-15 all-time against UMBC with a 10-5 record on the road against the Retrievers. Maine has allowed just two runs over the last 19 innings in the series, outscoring UMBC 18-2 in last year's three game set. However, the Retrievers won the most recent meeting by a score of 2-1 a year ago. Maine has won six of the last 10 meetings, including 11-0 and 6-0 shutout victories in the first two games of the 2016 series.
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