ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine softball team is set to open America East conference play on Saturday when it travels to Hartford for a three-game weekend series. The Black Bears and Hawks will meet on Saturday, March 31 in a doubleheader set for a noon first pitch before closing the series with a single game on Sunday, April 1 at 11 a.m.

Maine is 53-22 all-time against Hartford and have won 11 consecutive games against the Hawks. To find Maine's last loss in the series, you'd have to go all the way back to March 22, 2014.

SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine enters the weekend with a mark of 9-14 and will be returning to the diamond for the first time since March 18 after losing last weekend's series at Boston University due to weather and field conditions. The Black Bears rank sixth in the league in hitting (.232), third in ERA (3.98) and sixth in fielding (.939).

Offense: Senior Rachel Carlson leads the way for the Black Bears at the plate with a .351 mark. Carlson, who has an America East best 77 at-bats, is also the team's leader in hits (27) and is tied for team-highs in runs (11) and stolen bases (3). Carlson has produced seven multi-hit games, five times recording three or more hits in a contest, and has reached base safely in three-straight. Sophomore catcher Maddie Decker is adding a .306 average with 19 hits. Decker leads the Black Bears with 15 RBI and a .500 slugging percentage and is tied atop the team standings with three home runs. Decker, who leads the America East with 12 walks, has driven in two or more runs in four games. Laurine German has stepped into her role as Maine's shortstop and answered with a .284 mark with 19 hits and, along with Carlson, is tied for team leads with 11 runs and three stolen bases.

Pitching: Among America East pitchers who have appeared in 10 or more games, senior hurler Annie Kennedy leads the league with an impressive 1.59 ERA in 17 appearances, including eight starts. Kennedy has a team-high 41 strikeouts while allowing just 12 earned runs over 52.2 innings of work with just five walks in 17 appearances, including eight starts. Freshman Lilly Volk is 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 13 outings to go along with seven strikeouts in 29.1 innings. Fellow freshman Kyleigh O'Donnell has posted a pair of wins in 15 games with 25 strikeouts over 36.0 innings. Senior Molly Flowers is second on the team with 31 strikeouts in 28.0 innings.

SCOUTING HARTFORD:
The Hawks, also making the start to their conference season this weekend, enter play at 6-11 overall and are 1-6 at home to start the year. Most recently, Hartford split a non-conference doubleheader with Brown on Tuesday, dropping game one, 1-0, before a 10-9 victory in game two. The Hawks enter play as the America East leader's in team average, hitting .299 as a unit. However, the Hawks rank sixth out of seven teams with a 5.18 team ERA.

Hartford, selected last (7) in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll, is paced on offense by senior Elizabeth Newkirk. The Hawks feature two of the top three hitters in the America East in Newkirk (.367) and Eliza Bomhardt (.364). Newkirk leads the Hawks with 11 RBI and is tops on the team with a .653 slugging percentage. Lily Sencer's leads the Hawks in three categories; runs (13), hits (2) and stolen bases (7), while posting a .351 average. Danielle Rocheleau is hitting .311 with a team-leading four home runs.

In the circle, the Hawks feature three hurlers all with 10 or more appearances. Bianca Ross leads the way with a 3-4 mark and a 4.37 ERA with 20 strikeouts and seven walks in 41.2 innings. Isabella Gerone is also 3-4 with a 5.29 mark and a team-best 23 strikeouts in 45.0 innings. Melissa Pereira has made four starts and is 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA and nine strikeouts of 31.0 innings.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Annie Kennedy has gone 20 consecutive innings without surrendering a walk. Kennedy ranks fifth in the nation with 0.66 walks allowed per seven innings. Her 8.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio is tops in the America East and 10th among NCAA leaders while her 1.59 ERA is tops on the conference.
• Molly Flowers' 31 strikeouts over 28 innings place her first in the America East with a mark of 7.8 strikeouts per seven innings.
• Rachel Carlson's .351 average places her sixth among America East leaders. Carlson leads the league in at-bats (77), total hits (27) and triples (2).
• Carlson leads the Black Bears in multi-hit games (7), including five games of three or more hits.
• Maddie Decker leads the America East with 12 walks and is atop Maine's leader board with four multiple RBI performances.
• Carlson (.364) and Decker (.357) are Maine's leading hitters with runners in scoring position.
• Erika Leonard is hitting .333 with two outs.
• Decker has posted three, two-out RBI.
• Carlson is hitting .410 (16-39) with runners on-base.
• Kennedy is holding opposing hitters to a .212 average (25-118) with runners on.

-UMaine-