Owls split with Southern Virginia

    BUENA VISTA, Va. – The University of Maine at Presque Isle softball team split a doubleheader with Southern Virginia on Wednesday, April 2 at Laurel Park, earning their second win of the season 13-11 before losing the second game 19-4. The Owls are now 2-5, while the Knights drop to 8-9.     In game one, Southern Virginia struck first with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. From there the Owls took over, scoring the next 10 runs, including six in the fifth. The Knights responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth on five hits, and continued their rally with four more runs in the sixth to get within one at 10-9. The Owls responded with three runs in the seventh to make it 13-9, and withstood a Knight rally in the bottom of the inning, limiting them to two runs to secure the win. Leading the way for UMPI was freshman catcher Brittany Humphrey (New Gloucester) who went 3-4 from the plate, earning three RBIs in the game. Left-fielder Erica Davis (North Yarmouth) had one base hit and registered three RBIs, while teammate center-fielder Anna Lenentine (Monticello) was 2-4 with two RBIs.
    Sophomore Nicole Russell (Newcastle) earned her second win of the season, allowing 11 runs on 17 hits. She walked three and struck out three. Russell helped her cause on the mound by going 3-4 from the plate.
    In the second game, the Knights jumped out to an early lead with five runs in the second inning. Southern Virginia scored the runs on just one hit, taking advantage of four walks and a hit batter. The Knights made it a 14-1 game with nine runs in the third, benefiting from three walks, two hit batters, an error and three timely hits. Ashley Kazimer drove in two runs with a single, Abbie Callihan had a RBI single and Emmalani Smith drove in a run with a double. UMPI battled back in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs, but Southern Virginia scored five more in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 19-4.
    Third baseman Billie Martin (Caribou) led her Owl team with two hits from two at bats, earning three RBIs. Anna Lenentine went 1-3 from the plate, with one RBI.