NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The University of Maine softball team split a doubleheader with Merrimack on Saturday at Warrior Softball Stadium.
 
The Black Bears fell, 2-1, in extra innings in the first game before bouncing back for a 12-2 run rule victory in the night cap.

Game 19
Score:  Merrimack 2, Maine 1 (11 innings)
Stadium: Warrior Softball Stadium

How it Happened

• Merrimack took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first using a combination of singles and two fielder's choice plays to push a run across the plate.
• It took until the top of the seventh inning but the Black Bears were able to equalize … Kyrah Haba-Dailey earned a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before coming around on a Francesca Guerrera sacrifice fly.
• The teams then played three scoreless extra frames before Merrimack walked it off in the bottom of the 11th on a single to center field.

Game Notes

• Alysen Rieth started in the circle, throwing all 10.1 innings … she gave up two runs – one earned – on seven hits while walking five and striking out seven.
• Maggie Helms and Morgan Pool both went 1-for-4.
• Kyrah Haba-Dailey earned two walks.
• Haba-Dailey, Gabby Papushka and Keira Inman all registered a stolen base.

 
Game 20
Score:  Maine 12, Merrimack 2
Stadium: Warrior Softball Stadium

How it Happened

• The Black Bears raced out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning … Kyrah Haba-Dailey led off with a walk and then moved to third on an Immy Gie double before coming around on a bases loaded walk from Morgan Pool.
• After Gie scored on a passed ball, Madison Hand's three-run shot to center field gave Maine the 5-0 cushion.
• Merrimack put single runs on the board in the second and the fourth inning for a 5-2 game after four.
• Maine exploded for seven runs in the fifth frame … back-to-back walks from Gie and Francesca Guerrera brought in Kyli Hernandez and Haba-Dailey and then a Pool earned walk made it 8-2.
• Two batters later, Abby Rhee knocked her first career double to bring in three runs … Rhee later scored on an error for the 12-2 score line and Maine held Merrimack scoreless in the home half for the run rule victory.

Game Notes

• Madison Simmerman started, throwing 3.2 innings while giving up two runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout … Ava Zettlemoyer threw 1.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief.
• Madison Hand went 1-for-3 and recorded her first career home run … Abby Rhee was 1-for-3 with her first career double and three RBI … Immy Gie went 1-for -2.
• Kyrah Haba-Dailey, Morgan Pool and Francesca Guerrera earned two walks each.

 
Up Next

• Maine and Merrimack will play a single 12 p.m. game tomorrow to close out the series.
• The Black Bears will then travel to Iona for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 18.
• Maine will begin America East play at Bryant on Saturday, March 22.