Husson Defeats Farmington in NAC Softball Championship
Game: 6 Husson 7, Maine-Farmington 3
The Husson University Eagles scored four runs in the first
inning as that proved to be all they needed as they defeated the
University of Maine-Farmington 7-3 to win their first ever North
Atlantic Conference Championship. The Eagles improve to 26-14,
while Farmington ends their season with a 17-13 record. Husson will
go on to represent the NAC in the NCAA DIII National
Tournament.
The Beavers struck first in the top of the first inning with a two
run double by Shannon Mitchell (Fy. Portsmouth, NH). The Eagles got
back those two runs and added two more in the bottom of the inning
when Cassie Berry (Jr. Newcastle, ME) hit a two-run homerun to dead
centerfield. Megan Richard (So. Wilton, ME) drove in two runs of
her own on a double to left-center. Husson scored four runs on five
hits and one error in the first, taking a 4-2 lead.
Farmington scored another run in the top of the second on a RBI
double to left field by Erin Porter (Sr. Bangor, ME). The Beavers
had the bases loaded with two outs, but Husson pitcher Nicky
Sargent (So. Sullivan, ME) retired the next batter on a groundout
to second to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the inning
Brianna Webster (Fy. Belfast, ME) walked and Dottie Cameron (So.
South Plainfield, NJ) doubled to lead off the inning. Megan
Bradstreet (So. Warren, ME) picked up a RBI on a groundout to
third, as Webster scored and Cameron moved to third. After a Berry
walk, both Cameron and Berry scored on an infield error as the
Eagles extended their lead to 7-3.
Both pitchers would settle down after the first two innings, as neither pitcher gave up a run the rest of the game. In the top of the seventh the Beavers lead off the inning with two singles. However, Sargent would get the next batter to line out to centerfield and Caitlin LeBorgne (So. Scarborough, ME) would come in to retire the next two batters as the Eagles won their first NAC Softball Title. Sargent picked up her 13th win of the season as she went six and one third of an inning giving up two earned runs on eight hits and three walks. LeBorgne picks up her first save of the year. Liz Bergeron (Sr. Old Town, ME) got the loss as she went six innings giving up five earned runs on eight hits and three walks. Both Sargent and Bergeron finished with two strikeouts a piece.
Bradstreet was the only Eagle to record two hits as she went 2-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Berry finished the game with two RBIs and two runs scored as she went 1-1 and drew two walks. Porter, McPhail and Mitchell all had two hits apiece.
Castleton State College's Hillary Bemis (Jr. Crown Point, NY) and Alicia Zrauing (Jr. Greenfield, MA); Thomas College's Kristy Clemnts (Sr. Monroe, ME) and Brittany Morin (Sr. Winslow, ME); Farmington's Mckell Barnes (So. Durham, ME), Liz Bergeron (Sr. Old Town, ME), and Erin Porter (Sr. Bangor, ME); Husson's Dottie Cameron (So. South Plainfield, NJ) and Cassie Berry (Jr. Newcastle, ME) made the NAC All-Tournament team. Husson Unviersity's Nicky Sargent (So. Sullivan, ME) earned Most Outstanding Player honors.
NAC Softball Championship
First Round - Tuesday,
April 28 at higher seeds
(3) Maine-Farmington 4, (6) Johnson State 1
(4) Castleton 5, (5) Lyndon State 1
Friday, May 1 hosted by Husson University
Game 1 - Husson 8, Castleton 0
Game 2 - Maine-Farmington 7, Thomas 3
Game 3 - Thomas 8, Castleton 1
Game 4 - Husson 6, Farmington 4
Saturday, May 2 hosted
by Husson University
Game 5 - Farmington 8, Thomas 4
Game 6 - Husson 7, Farmington 3
Game 5: Maine-Farmington 8, Thomas 4
Mckell Barnes (So. Durham, ME) powered the University of Maine-Farmington past Thomas College in an elimination game in the North Atlantic Conference Tournament. Barnes finished the game going 3-3 with two homeruns, a double and seven RBIs. The Beavers won 8-4 and improved their record to 17-12. Farmington will play Husson University at 2:00 for the NAC Championship. If Farmington defeats Husson there will be a final game between Husson and Farmington to determine the championship. Thomas finishes their season 15-17-1.
Thomas threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases with one out. However, Farmington pitcher Jess Timmereck (So. Brunswick, ME) would get out of the jam unharmed as she retired the next two batters on a groundout and an infield pop out. In the bottom of the inning Farmington leadoff batter Kasey Mcphail (So. Benton, ME) reached base on an infield single. Mcphail moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a wild pitch with one out. Thomas would also get out of the jam unharmed as Terrier pitcher Jordan Kennedy (Fy. Detroit, ME) retired the next two batters on a lineout and a groundout.
Jen Higgins (Sr. Old Town, ME) got things going for the Terriers in the second when she drew a two out walk. Brittany Morin (Sr. Winslow, ME) stepped up next and doubled home Higgins. Mallorie Blakney (So. Fairfield, ME) then singled to left-center, scoring Morin from second. Patrice Cianchette (Fy. Corinna, ME) kept the scoring going for the Terriers in the second as she hit a single to left field, bringing home Blakney and giving Thomas a 3-0 lead after an inning and a half. In the bottom of the second Timmereck led off for the Beavers with a walk. After a great diving catch by Thomas third baseman Alexandra Kriegel (So. Winslow, ME), Casandra Dyer (Jr. Freeport, ME) doubled down the left field line to put two Beavers in scoring position with no outs. Kennedy once again got out of the inning unharmed as she got Farmington to pop up to third and picked up a strikeout.
In the bottom of the third the Beavers would get back two runs on a two run homerun to left field by Barnes. Thomas responded in the top of the fourth with an unearned run as Kristy Clements (Sr. Monroe, ME) hit an RBI double to left-center field, extending the Terriers' lead to 4-2. Mcphail loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single on a 3-0 count. Erin Porter (Sr. Bangor, ME) would bring the Beaver's within one run with a two out RBI infield single. Barnes stepped up and ripped a base clearing double to left-center as the Beavers took their first lead of the game, 6-4.
Barnes hit her second two-run homerun of the game to left field in the top of the seventh, extending Farmington's lead to four runs. Liz Bergeron picked up the win pitching the last three innings without giving up a run and only giving up one hit and one walk. Clements for Thomas finished the game going 3-3 from the plate with one double and one RBI.
Game 4: Husson 6, Farmington 4
Bangor, Maine - Nicky Sargent (So. Sullivan, ME) propelled Husson University into the championship round with a seventh inning two-run homerun, which broke a 4-4 tie. Husson went on to shut down the U. Maine-Farmington in the bottom of the inning to win 6-4.
U. Maine Farmington opened the game with three runs In the bottom of the inning, UMF outfielder Kasey McPhail (So. Benton, ME) led off the inning with a bunt single. After an infield error, Mckell Barnes (So. Durham, ME) hit a laser down the right field line for a three-run homerun.
In the top of the third, the Eagles got on the scoreboard taking advantage of Farmington’s mistakes to score two unearned runs. Cassie Berry (Jr. Newcastle, ME) hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Brianna Webster (Fy. Belfast, ME), for Husson’s first run of the game. Sargent batted next and hit a RBI single to center, giving Husson their first hit and cutting the lead to 3-2.
The Beavers made it 4-2 in the bottom of the third. Jess Timmreck (So. Brunswick, ME) led off reaching on an infield error. After reaching third on a wild pitch, Timmreck scored on Emily Cove’s (Jr, Naples, ME) groundout.
Husson tied the game in the fifth with a big swing from Dottie Cameron (So, S. Plainfield, NJ). Webster got things started with a single to left field and Cameron crushed a homerun to dead center.
In the top of the sixth, Sarah Risser (Fy. Brewer, ME) led off the inning with a bloop single to right field. The Eagles loaded the bases with a Beaver infield error and a walk. Liz Bergeron (Sr. Milford, ME) would get out of the inning for UMF as she retired the next three batters on two pop-ups and one strikeout.
Sargent delivered the big hit in the top of the seventh. Berry lead off with a one out double off the left-center field fence. Sargent then stepped up and hit her second homerun of the day over the left field wall, giving Husson a 6-4 lead.
Husson improves to 25-14 on the season and Farmington falls to 16-12. Farmington will play Thomas College tomorrow at noon in an elimination game. There winner will take on Husson at 2:00.
Game 3: Thomas 8, Castleton 1
Thomas College lives to play another day as they defeated Castleton State in the first elimination game of the 2009 Softball NAC tournament. Thomas took advantage of four Spartan errors to score five unearned runs. Thomas pitcher Patrice Cianchette (Fy. Corinna, ME) picked up the win going six innings, giving up one run on six hits.
In the top of the second inning, Thomas College took a 1-0 lead on a RBI single by Brittany Oxley (Sr. Vassalboro, ME). The Terriers shut out the Spartans in the bottom of the inning and came back in the top of the third to score two unearned runs on only one hit. Thomas added two more unearned runs in the top of the fourth, this time on no hits as they took a 5-0 lead.
The Spartans got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when Hilary Bemis (Jr. Crown Point, NY) doubled to left and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Alicia Araunig (Jr. Greenfield, MA). However, the Terriers answered in the next half-inning with a two run single by Patrice Cianchette (Fy. Corinna, ME). The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out, but Thomas catcher Kristy Clements (Sr. Monroe, ME) made a great diving catch behind the plate and the Terriers retired the next batter to get out of the inning.
The Terriers added a run in the top of the seventh on a RBI double by Cianchette. Thomas improves to 14-17-1 with the 8-1 victory over Castleton State. Castleton State is eliminated from the NAC playoffs and finishes their season with a 14-19 record. Thomas plays tomorrow at 12:00 in an elimination game versus the loser of game four between Husson and Farmington.
Game 2: University of Maine-Farmington 7, Thomas Colleg e 3
In the second game of the NAC Tournament the University of Maine-Farmington took advantage of five Thomas errors and outhit the Terriers 10-5 as the Beavers took a 7-3 victory. The Beavers were led by pitcher Liz Bergeron (Sr. Winslow, ME) who picked up the complete game win. Bergeron gave up three runs, only two earned, on six hits and two walks. Bergeron finished with 10 strikeouts.
Brittany Morin (Sr. Winslow, ME) led off the bottom of the first inning for Thomas with a double to left center. Bergeron struck out the next two batters. However, Kristy Clements (Sr. Monroe, ME) would hit a two-strike pitch to right field, scoring Morin from second giving the Terriers an early 1-0 lead. Bergeron would pick up her fifth strikeout in the bottom of the second as she struck out the side in order, on only ten pitches.
In the top of the third with one out and the bases loaded, the Beavers took the lead by scoring two runs on an infield throwing error. Samantha Morency (Fy. Lewiston, ME) then hit a two RBI single to left field, giving the Beavers a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the third.
Alexandra Kriegal (So. Winslow, ME) led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to left field. After a walk and sac bunt, Morin hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Kriegal from third. Mallorie Blakney (So. Fairfield, ME) would then hit a single to left and Kristin Masessa (Fy. Montville, ME) would score on a fielding error to bring the Terriers within one run of the Beavers.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Jess Timmreck (So. Brunswick, ME) hit a RBI infield single and Morency hit a two run single to give the Beavers a 7-3 lead. UMF held went on to win 7-3 as they improved to 16-11 on the season. Thomas falls to 13-17-1. Thomas plays at 3:40 in an elimination game vs. Castleton State College. Farmington plays at 5:30 against Husson University.
Game 1: Husson University 8, Castleton State College 0 (5 innings)
In the first game, Dottie Cameron (So. South Plainfield, NJ) came up to bat in the bottom of the second inning with two outs and the bases loaded. Cameron would rip a base clearing double to left field, giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth the Eagles led off the inning with back to back singles by Rachel Voicechovski (Fy. Jefferson, NJ) and Kristen Sousa (Fy. Detroit, ME). Voicechovski would end up scoring on an infield error and Sousa would score on a fielder’s choice. Nicky Sargent (So. Sullivan, ME) would cap off the inning with a three run homerun to left field, giving the Eagles an 8-0 lead.
Sargent completed the shutout in the top of the fifth as the Eagles defeated the Spartans by the eight-run rule. Sargent improves to 12-4 on the season. Four different Spartans singled for Castleton. Husson improves to 24-14 on the season and Castleton falls to 14-18.
Castleton will play at 3:00 today in an elimination game against the loser of game two between Thomas College and University of Maine-Farmington. Husson will play the winner of game two at 5:00 today.
April 28, 2009
Farmington Advances in NAC Softball on 7th inning Home Run; Castleton Downs Lyndon State 5-1
Higher seeds Maine-Farmington and Castleton advance in NAC first round softball contests Tuesday. McKell Barnes clubbed a three-run walk-off home run in the seventh inning as third seeded UMF ousted Johnson State. The Beavers will meet Thomas when the double-elmination tournament begins Friday, May 1. Top seed Husson will host the event and meet fourth seed Castleton in the day's first contest. The Spartans defeated Lyndon State 5-1.
NAC Softball Championship
First Round - Tuesday, April 28 at higher seeds
(3) Maine-Farmington 4, (6) Johnson State 1
(4) Castleton 5, (5) Lyndon State 1
Friday, May 1 hosted by Husson University
Game 1 - Castleton vs. Husson 10:00 AM
Game 2 - Maine-Farmington vs. Thomas 12:00 PM
Game 3 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 2:00 PM
Game 4 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 4:00 PM
Saturday, May 2 hosted by Husson University
Game 5 - Loser of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 3 12:00 PM
Game 6 - Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 2:00 PM
Sunday, May 3 hosted by Husson University
Game 7 - If necessary 1:00 PM
April 28, 2009
Seventh-Inning walk-off home run pushes Farmington past Johnson State
Box Score
FARMINGTON, Maine -- Mckell Barnes (Durham, ME) clubbed a three-run walk-off home run in the seventh inning as third-seeded University of Maine at Farmington ousted No. 6 Johnson State College 4-1 in the first round of the North Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament today at Prescott Field.
The Beavers (15-11) advance to face No. 2 Thomas College (13-16-1) in the double-elimination championship round Friday at noon at Husson University. The Badgers finished their season at 9-18.
With the game knotted at 1-1 after six-and-a-half innings, Kasey McPhail (Benton, ME) was hit by a pitch and Erin Porter (Bangor, ME) singled to set the stage for Barnes. The sophomore clubbed her program single-season record 10th homer.
Liz Bergeron (Milford, ME) earned the victory for Farmington with a complete-game effort. The senior tossed a three-hitter with four free passes and three strikeouts.
Scoreless after five innings, the Badgers struck first with Lauren Wallace (Hyde Park, VT) scoring on a throwing error on a Kayla Golfin (Castleton, VT) grounder for a 1-0 edge for the visitors. The Beavers' Samantha Morency (Lewiston, ME) followed in the bottom half of the frame with a solo home run to even the score at 1-1.
Allie Cunningham (Manchester, NH) was hit with the complete-game loss for Johnson State. Cunningham scattered nine hits with a walk and a strikeout and battled her way out of bases-loaded situation in the fifth.
Barnes finished with a single to go along with her home run, while McPhail and Porter each singled twice and Casandra Dyer (Freeport, ME) slugged a double.
Julie Gervais (Enosburg Falls, VT) singled and doubled for the Badgers, while Cunningham also had a double.
Castleton advances with 5-1 win over Lyndon State
Box Score
Castleton, VT - Hilary Bemis tossed a complete-game four-hitter and Alicia Zraunig went 3-for-3 as Castleton defeated Lyndon State 5-1 in a North Atlantic Conference Softball Quarterfinal Tuesday afternoon.
Bemis cruised through the first six innings of the game, allowing just one runner to reach third base, before allowing back-to-back doubles in the seventh for Lyndon State's only run. Bemis struck out Kathy Kline to start the seventh, then allowed a Michelle Wilcox double to right-centerfield and a Theresa Danforth double to left-centerfield. Bemis was able to induce a fly-out to right field and a ground out to third to end the game. The junior right-hander struck out seven and walked three.
Castleton plated two runs in the second, two more in the third and one in the fifth. Zraunig singled, stole second and moved to third on a Heather Alley single to start things off in the second. A passed ball scored Zraunig and moved Alley to third before Lydia Mcpherson smacked a single to left that scored Alley. Sarah Flore singled home Amanda Gerstenmaier and came around to score on a Shannon Jipner ground out to make it 4-0 in the third. Castleton loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, but scored just the one run on a Bemis single.
Flore went 2-for-3 and Gerstenmaier scored a pair of runs as Castleton improves to 14-17 overall and advances to the NAC Tournament this weekend. The Spartans will take on top-seed Husson at 10:00 am on Friday morning in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament.
Lyndon State was led by Wilcox's 2-for-2 day at the plate. The Hornets' season ends at 8-19 overall.
April 26, 2009
Husson Claims Top Spot With Pairings Announced for NAC Softball Championship
After completing conference play with a perfect 14-0 mark, Husson University has earned the top seed in the upcoming NAC Softball Championship. The University of Maine-Farmington and Thomas finished tied for second in conference play with a 10-4 mark. Based on predetermined tiebreaking procedures, Thomas was awarded the second seed and the first round bye in the NAC Softball Championship.
Maine-Farmington (10-4 NAC, 14-11) will host sixth seed Johnson State (4-10 NAC, 9-16) when first round action begins Tuesday, April 28. The top six teams qualify for the NAC Championship. Fifth seed Lyndon State (6-8 NAC, 8-18) will travel to fourth seed Castleton (7-7 NAC, 13-17) in the other first round contest on Tuesday.
First round winners will advance to Husson for a double-elimination tournament with contests beginning Friday, May 1. Husson will meet the winner of Castleton and Lyndon State in the first contest on Friday at 10:00 am. Thomas would play the Maine-Farmington/Johnson State winner in the second game at 12:00 pm.
The top six teams qualify for the NAC Championship. Predetermined tiebreaking procedures were used to seed teams. Game times are subject to change. The NAC Champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.
NAC Softball Championship
First Round - Tuesday,
April 28 at higher seeds
BYE at (1) Husson
BYE at (2) Thomas
(6) Johnson State at (3) Maine-Farmington
(5) Lyndon State at (4) Castleton
Friday, May 1 hosted by Husson University
Game 1 – Castleton/Lyndon State vs. Husson 10:00 AM
Game 2 – Maine-Farmington/Johnson State vs. Thomas 12:00
PM
Game 3 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 2:00 PM
Game 4 – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 4:00 PM
Saturday, May 2 hosted by Husson University
Game 5 – Loser of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 3 12:00 PM
Game 6 – Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 2:00 PM
Sunday, May 3 hosted by Husson University
Game 7 – If necessary 1:00 PM
