WATERVILLE, Maine - The Colby College softball team returned to action on Wednesday sweeping the University of Maine at Farmington, 9-7 and 13-1 in five innings in non-conference action at the Colby Softball Complex.
Game 1 – Colby 9, UMaine-Farmington 7:
The University of Maine at Farmington (3-11) struck first in the opening inning with a five-run frame to take the early lead, but Colby quickly answered in the bottom half. Senior
Carissa Cassidy led off the inning by drawing a walk and sole second before scoring on a UMaine-Farmington miscue, making the game 5-1.
The Beavers extended their advantage in the second inning on a two-run home run to push their lead to 7-1. In the bottom half of the frame, senior
Kelsey Sullivan's two-run home run to center field sparked the beginning of the Mules comeback one inning later as Colby scored five times to take an 8-7 lead.
Junior
Juliana Kiley led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second after junior
Caroline DeSimone laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that allowed her to reach first base safety on a throwing error. DeSimone and Kiley both advanced a base on the overthrown ball after the ball went out of play.
With two runners in scoring position, sophomore
Avery Lyman ripped a single through the right side, sending Kiley home to cut the deficit to three. After Lyman stole second, senior
Victoria Ramirez singled to right field to send home DeSimone with the Mules fifth run of the game.
Ramirez then proceeded to steal second, giving the Mules runners on third and second for the third time of the frame. An infield single by Sullivan loaded the bases before sophomore
Julia Berry singled home Lyman, making the game 7-6. A two-out RBI single to left field by senior
Emma Burnham allowed Sullivan to score the game tying run before a sacrifice fly by junior
Ella Wilcox gave Colby an 8-7 lead.
Colby added an insurance run in fourth inning on a solo shot to left field by DeSimone.
Sullivan led Colby offensively, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a home run and two runs scored, while Burnham and Lyman finished with two hits.
In the circle, senior
Kathryne Clay earned her first win of the season after allowing a hit in 1.1 innings of relief work while sophomore
Sophia Meade recorded her second save of the season after allowing no runs on three hits with four strikeouts in four innings of work to secure the 9-7 comeback victory.
GAME 2 - Colby 13, UMaine-Farmington 1 in five innings:
In the nightcap, the Mules used a dominant pitching performance and an offensive explosion to sweep the non-conference doubleheader with the Beavers.
In the bottom of the first, Colby got things started quickly, plating four runs to take a 4-0 lead. Cassidy led off with a walk and scored on a two-run home run from Wilcox. Lyman added an RBI single, and Sullivan delivered an RBI double as the Mules built the early advantage.
Colby broke the game open in the second, scoring six runs to extend their lead to 10-0. DeSimone drove in a pair with a triple to right-center field. Lyman added another RBI single, and
Victoria Ramirez capped the inning with a three-run home run to left-center.
The Mules continued to add on in the third as Cassidy led off with her first career intercollegiate home run down the right-field line, making it 11-0.
UMaine-Farmington scored its lone run in the fourth off a Colby miscue.
Junior
Kat Xiong delivered an RBI double, and freshman
Lauren Valji added an RBI single in the bottom half of the fourth to make it a 13-1 game.
Cassidy finished 3-for-3 with a home run to lead Colby, while Wilcox, Kiley and Lyman each recorded two hits in the run-rule victory.
Freshman
Sharlotte Stazinski went the distance in the circle for Colby, allowing just four hits and an unearned run, while striking out seven across five innings to improve to 4–1 on the season.
With the two victories over the University of Maine at Farmington on Wednesday, head coach
Terren Allen and assistant head coach
Dorothy O'Donnell earned their 100th win together at Colby.
Colby opens NESCAC play on Saturday when it hosts tenth ranked Tufts University for a doubleheader at 1 and 3 p.m.