The USM softball team was back on the field as they took on Husson University in their home opener last Friday in Gorham. The Huskies fought to earn a 4-3 win in the first game, but the Eagles came out on top in second game winning 8-5.
In the first game, USM freshman Katie Davis (Woburn Mass.) drove in all four runs as she hit a 2-run home run and a 2-run double to help the Huskies earn their fourth win of the season.
Davis got the scoring started early for USM as she pounded her first home run of the season off the scoreboard in the first inning.
Husson got one run back in the top of the third when sophomore Sarah Risser scored on an outfield error by the Huskies. Risser’s run occurred after she was advanced to third base on a double by Husson senior Cassie Berry. USM junior pitcher Sarah Derouche (Portland) was rattled again in the fifth when Berry singled, advanced to second on a throwing error by the Huskies left fielder, and scored when sophomore right fielder Brianna Webster singled to tie the game.
USM would go up again in the bottom of the fifth when Davis hit her two-run double to left field to break the tie. Husson would get another run back in the top of the sixth when junior Dorothy Cameron singled up the middle, stole second base and scored on a throwing error. That was all the Eagles would salvage though as sophomore reliever Nani Jacobs (Kahnawake, Que.) came in for Derouche in the seventh to record the save and finalize Derouche’s second victory of the season.
In the nightcap, Husson got the scoring started in the first when Aimee Mortensen hit a sacrifice fly to score sophomore catcher Kristen Sousa. USM scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead when Davis singled through the right side to score sophomore outfielder Lauren DiCecco (South Berwick), and sophomore Laura Leger (Quincy, Mass.) doubled to center to score Davis from second.
Husson took the lead permanently when they exploded with three runs in the third when Sargent scored Sousa on, Mortensen doubled to right and junior Megan Richard singled through the left side to score two.
The Huskies would get one back to cut the Husson lead to one after DiCecco tripled to deep left center and Davis hit a sacrifice fly to left to score DiCecco. Husson responded with three runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth before halting USM’s two-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to win the game as it was called due to darkness.
Davis was 4-for-5 on the doubleheader with eight RBI and sophomore Alexandra Perdomo (Portland) was tagged with the loss in the second game for the Huskies.
Softball will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the St. Joseph’s College Monks in a non-conference doubleheader for a 3:30 p.m. start.