Women edge MMA in 8th
PRESQUE ISLE – Kathleen Higgins had a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, and then scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to help her University of Maine at Presque Isle softball team to an 11-10 win over Maine Maritime Academy Thursday.
With the upset win, the Owls improve to 7-18 on the year, while MMA fell to 19-4.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Cassie Green hit the ball solidly toward second base, which was mishandled to allow Higgins to score the winning run.
The Mariners got on the board first in the second inning with one run, but the Owls answered with two runs to take the early 2-1 lead. Danielle Humphrey reached on a base on balls, which set up Nicole Russell’s RBI double to left-center field. Carolynn Tuck of Brewer kept the inning alive with an RBI ground out to second base, which scored Russell.
After Kayla Higgins belted a three-run homer over the center field fence in the top of the third, regaining the lead for her MMA team, the Lady Owls used a big six-run third inning to go ahead 8-4. Desiree Smith smacked a triple to center field, setting up a Lainey Herring RBI single. Brittany Humphrey came through with an RBI single down the third base line, before her sister Danielle singled and stole second. With runners on second and third, Russell pounded a two-run single. Kellie Peers kept the inning alive with a base hit, followed by Tuck’s RBI double. Higgins ended the scoring with a fielder’s choice grounder, scoring Peers and giving the Owls the four-run advantage.
The Mariners cut into the lead by two in the top of the sixth, but the Owls answered back with a run in the bottom of the same inning on Brittany Humphrey’s run-scoring double.
MMA then used a four-run inning to go ahead, 10-9, in the top of the seventh by using another Kayla Higgins three-run home run.
In the bottom of the inning, Danielle Humphrey reached base on a walk to start the rally and came across on Kathleen Higgins’ RBI hit.
Russell went the distance on the mound for the Owls, striking out five and walking four to earn the win.
The Owls were then swept by the Roos of SUNY-Canton in a two-day four-game home series. The UMPI team ended up 7-22 overall and 4-4 in Sunrise Conference play. The scores were 5-2 and 12-1 on Saturday in Caribou and 12-1 and 13-2 on Sunday in Presque Isle.
The Owls will participate in this weekend’s conference playoff tournament, which gets under way Friday in Boston.
CLOSE PLAY
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
Sliding home safely Thursday is University of Maine at Presque Isle player Kellie Peers of Caswell during a softball game against Maine Maritime Academy. UMPI won 11-10. The Owls lost four games at home to SUNY-Canton over the weekend and now are preparing for the post-season.
