Softball: USM-Western Connecticut State Split

Sophomore Katie Davis (Woburn, Mass.) knocked a two-run home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the sixth inning to complete a four-run rally and lift the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 6-5 win over the visiting Western Connecticut State University Colonials in the first game of a Little East Conference softball doubleheader Saturday at Towers Field in Gorham, Maine. The Colonials battled back from a one-run deficit in the second game, 6-4, to earn the split.

With their 6-5 win in the opener, Southern Maine snapped a 20-game losing streak and improves to 3-25 and 1-5 in the LEC with the split. The Colonials are 14-6 and 2-2 in the conference.

Trailing 5-1 after four and a half innings, the Huskies trimmed their deficit to three runs in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from junior 1B Kayla Ferrara (South Portland, Maine) as part of a three hit inning.

In the top of the sixth, USM senior P Sarah Deroche (Portland, Maine/Deering) fought her way out of a jam facing runners on third and second with no outs. After giving up a lead off double to junior SS Danielle Basciano (Wolcott, Conn.), Deroche had Basciano on third and a runner on second after a botched throw on a sacrifice fly. The Huskies came up big defensively, getting Basciano out at home despite a wild pitch, before Deroche retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a ground out.

In the sixth, senior 2B Rachel Del Camp (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) and sophomore SS Anna Allard (Parsonfield, Maine/Sacopee Valley) each had RBI singles to pull USM to within a run of the Colonials, before Davis connected on her team-leading third home run of the season.

Deroche secured her second win of the season in the top of the seventh retiring the side. Deroche allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out six. Freshman P Stephanie Moss (Brookfield, Conn.) took her first loss of the season, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and three walks.

In the second game, Western Connecticut senior Gina Facchini (Norwich, Conn.) hit a two-out, two-run laser to center field for a double to lift her team to the 6-4 victory.

Trailing 4-3 heading into the top of the sixth, the Colonials took advantage of a walk, an error and a wild pitch to pull even with USM, before Facchini delivered the win with her sixth double of the season.

Colonial junior P Magan Dargon (Trumbull, Conn.) improved to 8-3 on the season allowing four earned runs on nine hits and a walk. Dargon struck out 12 in the win. USM freshman Samantha Morse (South China, Maine/Erskine Academy) took the loss allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks.

Southern Maine travels to Plymouth State University on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.). Western Connecticut travels to Rhode Island College on Tuesday (5:00 p.m.).

At Gorham, Maine.
Western Connecticut (13-6, 1-2 LEC) 041 000 0 5-8-1
Southern Maine (3-24, 1-4 LEC) 100 014 x 6-10-3
Batteries: SM, Sarah Deroche and Melissa Caiazzo WC, Stephanie Moss and Meghan Mammone
WP: SM, Deroche (2-12) LP: WC, Moss ( 5-1)
2B: WC, Danielle Basciano 2, Anna Levesque
3B: SM, Anna Allard WC, Jackie Zilnicki
HR: SM, Katie Davis WC, Amy Hartman
RBI: SM, Davis 3, Allard, Kayla Ferrara WC, Basciano, Hartman, Mammone, Zilnicki
Repeat Hitters: SM, Allard, Annie Mitchell WC, Basciano

Western Connecticut (14-6, 2-2 LEC) 003 001 2 6-8-1
Southern Maine (3-25, 1-5 LEC) 013 000 x 4-9-3
Batteries: SM, Samantha Morse and Davis WC, Magen Dargon and Mammone
WP: WC, Dargon (8-3) LP: SM, Morse (1-13)
2B: WC, Basciano, Zilnicki, Harmtan, Luigina Facchini, Mammone
SM, Allard, Davis, Stephanie Stockwell
3B: None
HR: None
RBI: SM, Stockwell 2, Davis 1 WC, Facchini 2, Hartman, Basciano
Repeat Hitters: SM, Allard, Stockwell, Morse 3 WC, Hartman, Zilnicki