Lady Mariners Fall In NAC Finals to Husson

Finish Season With A Program Best 22 Wins

Bangor, ME - The Husson University Eagles claimed their second consecutive North Atlantic Conference (NAC) softball championship with a no-hitter by Nicole Sargent, defeating Maine Maritime 5-0. With the win, Eagles improve to 28-13 (14-0 NAC) while the Lady Mariners fall to 22-7 (11-3 NAC). As the NAC champion, the Eagles will advance to the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Mariners and Eagles remained scoreless until the third inning when Husson’s Courtney Hill (Fy., Calais, ME) hit a lead-off double. On the next pitch, Hill stole third and was able to score on a wild throw to third. Thanks to strong defense by the Mariners, the Eagles were held to just one run in the third inning.

In the fifth inning with a runner on second, Cassie Berry (Sr., Newcastle, ME) hit a towering homerun to left center, helping the Eagles expand their lead to 4-0. The game’s final run came in the sixth when pinch hitter Kara Poirier (Fy., Berlin, NH) and Diann Ramsey (Jr., Otisfield, ME) hit a pair of doubles. Ramsey would drive in Poirier to give Husson a 5-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh inning, two Lady Mariners reached on errors. With Mariners in scoring position, the Eagles’ Berry made a sliding catch at second on a ground ball hit by Kayla Higgins (So., Sullivan, ME) and threw Higgins out at first to secure the Husson victory and preserve the no-hitter.

Sargent pitched a complete seven inning game allowing no hits, and one walk, while striking out five Maine Maritime’s McKenzie Burke (Fy., Wells, ME) received the loss, pitching six innings, giving up 8 hits and striking out 2.

All Tournament Team

Tournament MVP: Cassie Berry (Sr., 2b, Newcastle, ME), Husson University

Thomas College

Mallery Blakney (Jr., OF., Fairfield, ME)
Alexandra Kriegel (Jr., INF., Winslow, ME)

University of Maine at Farmington

Emily Coye (Sr., OF., Naples, ME)
Kaitlyn Bartlett (Fy., P., Chesterville, ME)

Maine Maritime Academy

Casey McCloskey (Fy., P., Howland, ME)
Nicole Poland (Sr., OF., Damariscotta, ME)
McKenzie Burke (Fy., P., Wells, ME)

Husson University

Courtney Hill (Fy., OF., Calais, ME)
Nicole Sargent (Jr., P/1b., Sullivan, ME)