Ariel Williams
QUEENSBURY, New York — The University of Maine at Presque Isle softball team fell short over the weekend in its quest for an American Collegiate Athletic Association playoff championship.
After winning its first game Saturday, the Owls were beaten in a pair of close games played Saturday and Sunday and were eliminated in the tourney held at the Adirondack Sports Dome.
UMPI defeated SUNY-Canton in the first-round game, 7-2. Trailing 2-0, the Owls mounted a comeback. Sara Packard homered in the fourth inning before UMPI put six runs on the board in the fifth. Ayana Walker ripped a two-run double, while Emma Gogan, Packard and Delanie Strout added RBI singles during the rally.
Brianna Losee
Packard was solid on the mound, allowing five hits while striking out two batters and walking three in her seven innings of work.
Later in the day, UMPI squared off against Finlandia College of Hancock, Michigan, and dropped a tough 5-3 decision.
Packard had another strong pitching performance as she surrendered just two earned runs and didn’t allow a walk while scattering eight hits and striking out four. UMPI outhit the Lions 13-8, with Jackie Peers collecting four hits and Strout and Ariel Williams two each for the Owls.
Gogan, Strout and Brianna Losee all had RBI singles for UMPI.
In Sunday’s rematch with SUNY-Canton, the Owls gave up two runs in the fifth and two more in the top of the seventh to fall behind 4-0 before finally breaking through with two in the bottom of the seventh. They could get no closer in the 4-2 defeat.
Sara Packard
Losee and Nicole Marucci scored UMPI’s runs on an RBI single by Williams and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Gogan. Losee finished with two hits. Packard again went the distance on the mound, striking out two, walking two and giving up two earned runs on 10 hits.
UMPI finished with a 22-13 record under head coach Sara Shaw. Finlandia ended up beating SUNY-Canton in the championship game, 8-0.
