UMaine, Vermont split two> Catamounts’ errors plate winning run

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ORONO – University of Maine junior righthander Mary Persson has bruises all over her legs from line drives.

But with runners on second and third and one out in the seventh inning of a 2-2 game with Vermont here Sunday, she snared a one-out bullet off the bat of Melissa Mattuchio and eventually pitched out of the jam, setting the stage for a 3-2 eight-inning win and a split of their doubleheader.

Junior righty Kristen Schoen spaced eight hits in the opener and Mattuchio broke a scoreless tie with a sixth-inning triple as Vermont won 2-0.

Maine is now 13-21-1 overall, 3-7 in the NAC. Vermont is 12-11, 6-4.

Persson said she never saw the screeching liner.

“Usually, I just try to get out of the way. I just stuck my glove up,” said Persson.

Maine scored the winning run in the eighth thanks to a pair of Vermont errors.

Kelly Dow grounded a single to left and, one out later, second baseman Karen Mellow overthrew first with Kathryn Murphy’s grounder, putting runners on second and third.

“I was watching the runner,” said Mellow.

Then, Jill Cassie’s grounder was fumbled by shortstop Carrie Beck, allowing the winning run to score.

“At first, I was thinking about hitting a fly ball,” said Cassie. “Then I just decided to hit it where I could and, luckily, the shortstop made an error.”

Persson went the distance for the win, spacing six hits. Just one run was earned. She struck out three and walked five while throwing 125 pitches, 70 for strikes.

“I was happy with it,” said Persson. “I was throwing all drops and change-ups. The team played great defense behind me.”

Persson knew Maine desperately needed a win.

“I like the pressure. That’s why I’m a pitcher,” said Persson.

Maine took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the nightcap on Kathryn Murphy’s infield single, a wild pitch and Kelly Harrington’s bloop single to right.

UVM took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth on Schoen’s line drive single, a walk, Mellow’s run-scoring ground ball single to center and an ensuing overthrow to the plate by second baseman Melissa Creegan.

Maine tied it in the fifth on singles by Lefevre and Harrington, a wild pitch, a walk and a two-out error by third baseman Sandra Montoya.

In the opener, Schoen struck out two and didn’t walk anybody while throwing only 79 pitches, 59 of which were strikes.

“I threw mostly all curves because they weren’t hitting it. I think I threw only two fastballs. And we had an excellent defensive game today,” said Schoen.

“She had a good curve,” said Maine shortstop Michelle Puls.

Vermont center fielder Jen Winslow gunned a Bear out at the plate in the fifth and shortstop Beck and third baseman Montoya made nice catches on seventh-inning line drives.

Vicki Brenner and Jen Burton combined on an eight-hitter for Maine.

Montoya opened the decisive sixth-inning rally with a line drive single to right. She barely beat the throw to first by right fielder Cassie, whose throw pulled first baseman Shelly Lefevre off the bag.

Mattuchio then ripped a 1-0 pitch into left center for her triple.

“I can’t tell you where or what it was. I just swung,” said Mattuchio.

Maine catcher Dow said Brenner threw “very, very well. That was one of the few bad pitches she made. She got too much of it over the middle of the plate.”

A two-out fielding error by Puls produced an insurance run.

Cats 2, Black Bears 0

(Sunday’s First Game)

Vermont Maine

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Turner, 1b 4 0 0 0 Wells, 3b 4 0 0 0

Brown, lf 4 0 0 0 Creegan, 2b 2 0 1 0

Montoya, 3b 3 1 2 0 Puls, ss 3 0 2 0

Mattuchio, c 3 0 2 1 Dow, c 3 0 1 0

Schoen, p 3 0 1 0 Lefevre, 1b 3 0 1 0

Winslow, cf 3 0 1 0 Murphy, cf 2 0 0 0

Merrow, 2b 3 0 1 9 Cassie, rf-lf 3 0 1 0

Beck, ss 3 0 0 0 Gamache, lf 2 0 1 0

Rice, rf 3 0 1 0 Brenner, p 1 0 1 0

a-Smith 0 1 0 0 Bourget, rf 1 0 0 0

b-Harrington 1 0 0 0

Totals 29 2 8 1 Totals 25 0 8 0

a-ran for Mattuchio in 6th inning

b-lined out for Brenner in 7th inning

Vermont 000 002 0 – 0

Maine 000 002 0 – 2

E – Puls LOB – Maine 7, Vermont 6 S – Murphy, Creegan, Brenner

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Vermont

Schoen (W, 6-6) 7 8 0 0 0 2

Maine

Brenner (L, 4-5) 5 1/3 7 2 1 0 3

Burton 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 1

TIME – 1:30 ATTENDANCE – 100

Black Bears 3, Cats 2

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Vermont (12-11) Maine (13-21-1)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Turner, 1b 2 0 0 0 Wells, 3b 3 0 0 0

Brown, lf 3 0 1 0 Creegan, 2b 4 0 1 0

Montoya, 3b 4 0 0 0 Puls, ss 4 0 1 0

Mattuchio, c 4 0 1 0 Dow, dh 4 0 1 0

Schoen, dh 3 1 1 0 Lefevre, 1b 4 1 1 0

Winslow, cf 2 1 0 0 Murphy, cf 4 2 1 0

Morrow, 2b 4 0 1 1 Cassie, lf 4 0 0 0

Beck, ss 4 0 1 0 Harrington, c 3 0 2 1

Rice, rf 4 0 1 0 Bourget, rf 2 0 1 0

a-Knapp 0 0 0 0 b-Thibodeau

c-Pace

Totals 30 2 6 1 Totals 32 3 8 1

a-ran for Mattuchio in 5th inning

b-ran for Harrington in 4th inning

c-ran for Dow in 8th inning

Vermont 000 200 00 – 2

Maine 010 100 01 – 3

E – Harrington, Puls, Creegan, Bourget, Morrow, Beck 2, Montoya 2B – Mattuchio LOB – Maine 9, Vermont 10 SB – Brown, Montoya S – Brown, Wells

Vermont

Bergin 3 2/3 6 2 1 1 1

Houston (L, 4-4) 4 2/3 2 1 0 0 0

Maine

Persson (W, 6-10) 8 6 2 1 5 3

TIME – 1:38