NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The University of Maine at Presque Isle softball team split a doubleheader with the College of New Rochelle Saturday, March 25 to kick off its spring break trip.
The host Blue Angels won their season opener in dramatic fashion, walking off with a 9-8 victory, but the Owls overpowered their opponent in game two, coming out on top, 15-5.
Sara Shaw is in her third season as the UMPI softball coach. The team is off to a 4-2 start following a split of a doubleheader played in New Rochelle, N.Y. March 25. (Contributed/UMPI Athletics)
Coach Sara Shaw’s Owls are now 4-2 heading into the March 27 doubleheader at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pa., which begins at 3 p.m.
College of New Rochelle 9, UMPI 8
With the score tied, the Owls came close to getting out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the bottom of the seventh. However, Samantha Guitierrez came through with an RBI single to give the hosts the win.
Sara Packard (Contributed/UMPI Athletics)
New Rochelle loaded the bases with three singles before UMPI starting pitcher Sara Packard induced ground balls that led to a pair of outs at home plate. Guitierrez then provided the heroics with the walk-off hit.
The Blue Angels hit a pair of home runs over the first three innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead before the Owls chipped away and eventually tie the game in the top of the seventh.
Ariel Williams went 2 for 4 and Emma Gogan and Nicole Marucci each doubled for UMPI. Packard struck out nine batters and walked only two.
UMPI 15, College of New Rochelle 5
The Owls got their offense going early in the game two win.
Packard, again the starting pitcher, aided her own cause with a bases-loaded triple in the first inning. She scored later in the inning to make it 4-0.
The College of New Rochelle answered by taking advantage of a pair of UMPI fielding miscues and stringing together four hits to tie the game, but the Owls kept up the offensive attack the remainder of the game, erupting for 14 hits, while holding the Blue Angels to just one run the rest of the way.
Marucci blasted a two-run homer and had two other hits and finished with four RBI. Packard had another triple later in the game and also had four RBI. Jackie Peers went 3 for 4 and Brianna Losee added two hits.
Packard earned the pitching win, giving up just one earned run on seven hits and striking out three.
