BIDDEFORD ”“ They say that if you can just take what the game will give you, chances are, you can take away a win.
Or in the case of UNE softball, two wins.
Taking making use of the opportunities they were handed, the Nor’easters captured both ends of a double-header from Southern Maine, 5-0 and 2-0, in non-conference action at Claude Dubois Field.
UNE (11-5) took advantage of some timely hitting, as well as the stellar work in the circle of hurlers Erin Lyons and Amber Zablowsky, both of whom tossed complete game shutouts.
Lyons, a junior from Salem, N.H. was especially dominant in the opener.
She carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, before ultimately surrendering a pair of singles.
“Erin’s been a very good pitcher for a long time,” said UNE coach Dan Letellier. “Today, she worked hard, and labored through some of it. But she battled.”
Lyons did walk four batters, and was nearly touched for a long home run by USM (2-12) short stop Rachel Del Camp (Old Orchard Beach, McAuley H.S.), whose lead off blast in the third curved just outside the left field foul pole.
But she had her “out pitch” when she needed one, and wound up fanning six Huskies.
“She just reared back an fired,” said Letellier. “I think she likes it when the pressure’s on. She just doesn’t give up. She’s a bulldog out there.”
Lyons received all the run support she needed in the second, after a lead off single by Megan Gauger.
Gauger later scored from second on a sacrifice bunt and a throwing error.
Next inning, UNE fattened its lead to 4-0, using Maegen Johnson’s lead off single, a double by Ashley Gott, and an infield error on a sharp grounder to short by Erin Grover (Biddeford, Biddeford H.S.).
All three eventually scored.
“We like to try and make things happen,” said Letellier. “We’re pretty aggressive and have a lot of speed. We like to try to make the other team make mistakes, and capitalize when teams let us do things.”
In the nightcap, Zablowsky scattered five singles and didn’t walk a batter.
She was staked to a 1-0 lead, when in the top of the first ”“ UNE was the visiting team ”“ Gott stroked a two out single, then was plated on a triple by Grover.
Zablowsky nursed the slim margin into the sixth, working out of a jam in the fourth when she allowed three singles, all of which proved to be harmless.
The Nor’easters scraped up an insurance run in the sixth, after Johnson singled to lead off, and later scored on a wild pitch.
“More often (than not),” said Letellier, “we’ll make them make mistakes.”
UNE will take the field again Saturday, when it visits Regis for a double header.
— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com or follow on Twitter @DanHickling.
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