Lady Mariners Beat Colby 6-4 in 10 innings

Poland hits three run home run to win game

Maine Maritime improved to 9-1 on the season after beating the Mules from Colby College in a non-conference game Monday afternoon at Ritchie Field. Nicole Poland (Damariscotta, ME) led the Lady Mariners with two hits including a game winning three run home run over the left field fence to seal the win.

Colby (2-10, overall) got the scoring started in the first inning, scoring two unearned runs when Alex Essman (Littleton, MA) drove the ball to right center knocking in two runners. Katie Graichen (Arundel, ME) got the Mules started, reaching on an error with two outs and stole second base before Alyssa Lapore (Victor, NY) singled to left to put runners on second and third. Essman proceeded to hit the first pitch over the second baseman, driving in two, to give Colby the 2-0 advantage.

MMA answered for a run of their own in the bottom of the inning after Meghan Russell (Peru, ME) bunted her way on and then Sabrina Keach (Chesterville, ME) reached on an error by the first baseman to put runners at the corners. After two MMA strikeouts, Russell found her way to the plate on a passed ball to inch MMA closer at 2-1.

Both pitchers cruised through the next four innings until the Lady Mariner threatened in the 6^th inning when they had runners on first and third with just one out. Colby relief pitcher Alyssa Lepore came into the game and retired the next two batters to end the inning and the MMA threat.

The Lady Mariners wouldn’t go away and tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the 7^th after Megan Russell reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second on the throw. Sabrina Keach then reached on an error by the first baseman, which allowed Russell to score the tying run and send the game into extra innings.

The Mules were the first to score in extra innings, plating a run in the top of the 9^th. Allana Sanborn (Eliot, ME) started the inning at second base and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Katie Graichen. Sanborn scored the go ahead run when Lepore hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field giving Colby the 3-2 lead.

The Lady Mariners answered again in the bottom of the 9^th after McKenzie Burke (Wells, ME) pushed Nicole Poland to third base with a sacrifice bunt. Casey McCloskey (Howland, ME) proceeded to hit a ground ball to shortstop but the ball was bobbled and Poland scored the tying run knotting the game at 3-3.

Colby went up 4-3 in the top of the tenth when Essman was placed at second base and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Jen Goldman (Cedar Grove, NJ). After a Kelly Roth fly out to shallow center, Essman touched home with the go ahead run on a triple to right center off the bat of Lindsay Peterson (Fairfield, CT).

MMA was not finished and stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 10^th poised to get arguably their biggest win in the programs brief history. Mallery Stanley started on second base with the heart of the lineup due to hit. With one out and Stanley still on second, Brittany Hunt (Hickory, NC) picked up her third hit of the day on an infield single to shortstop. Hannah Seamans (Athens, ME) was due up next and had a great at bat but was retired on a nice play by the Colby second baseman. Nicole Poland stepped into the batters box with runners on first and second and two out and proceeded to belt a three run blast over the left field fence for the exciting 6-4 Lady Mariner victory.

The Lady Mariners cranked out nine hits while the Mules had seven. Casey McCloskey came in to pitch the last five innings for MMA and picked up her fifth win of the year, improving to 5-0. McCloskey gave up two hits and one walk over her five innings while striking out one. McKenzie Burke pitched the first five innings for MMA and was outstanding, giving up just five hits and two unearned runs.

Brittany Tasi (Shelton, CT) pitched well for the visitors giving up just six hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight batters. Alyssa LePore pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief and took the loss giving up three hits and five runs.