YOUNGSVILLE, La. – The University of Maine softball team split a pair of games on Saturday at the Mardi Gras Mambo.
 
The Black Bears fell to Houston Christian in a close 9-7 contest in the first game of the day and bounced back for a 9-1 win over Grambling State in the second game.

Game 11
Score:  Houston Christian 9, Maine 7
Stadium: Youngsville Sports Complex
How it Happened

• The Huskies took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on the back of four game-opening singles and a fielder's choice.
• The Black Bears responded to even things up, 3-3 … Gabby Papushka walked and then moved over on back-to-back singles from Kyrah Haba-Dailey and Bailey Snowberger … Immy Gie's single, Francesca Guerrera's walk and Lexi Corcoran's sacrifice fly evened up the score.
• The teams then played two scoreless frames before Houston Christian exploded for six runs in the top of the fourth.
• Maine responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth … Morgan Pool was hit by a pitch to bring in Gie … then with the bases loaded, Papushka cleared them with a triple to right field to make it a two-run game.
• Guerrera singled in the bottom of the seventh but Houston Christian stifled the rally for 9-7 win.

Game Notes

• Madison Simmerman started, throwing 3.0 innings while giving up six runs – five earned – on nine hits … Kaly Thomas allowed three runs in her relief appearance while Ava Zettlemoyer threw 3.1 innings of one-hit, no-run relief.
• Francesca Guerrera (2-for-3) and Immy Gie (2-for-4) both recorded multi-hit games for Maine.
• Seven different Black Bears scored for Maine.
• Gabby Papushka recorded her second triple of the year and her second three RBI game of the year.

Game 12
Score: Maine 9, Grambling State 1
Stadium: Youngsville Sports Complex
How it Happened

• The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but Maine responded with three runs in the bottom half of the opening stanza.
• The Black Bears then went on to add two runs in the second and one run in the third for a 6-1 lead after three innings.
• After a scoreless fourth and fifth for both teams, the Black Bears plated three runs in the sixth for the 9-1 run rule victory.

Game Notes

• Alysen Rieth threw a complete game, sprinkling five hits and one run allowed over 6.0 innings pitched … she tallied four strikeouts and one walk in earning her first win of the season.
• Gabby Papushka (2-for-4) and Immy Gie (2-for-4) had multi-hit games … Papushka had two RBI while Gie had one … Francesca Guerrera went 1-for-1 with three RBI.

Up Next

• The Black Bears will close out the weekend and the Mardi Gras Mambo tomorrow with an 11 a.m. game against Stephen F. Austin.