Youth movement sparks Black Bears> Maine battles Vermont today in playoffs

The University of Maine softball team has been gaining speed as it approaches the conference playoffs and the fuel that powers its offense comes from a single source.

With four of the nine positions on the University of Maine softball team filled by juniors and seniors, the young Black Bear team that heads into the NAC Tournament today is mostly unschooled in the conference championships.

But sophomore starters Michelle Puls, Melissa Creegan, Mary Wells and Kathryn Murphy believe Maine, which went to its first NCAA tournament in 1994, can return this year with a NAC championship win.

“We just have to make sure we get hits,” said Puls, the Bears leading hitter. “We’ve gotten a lot more consistent.”

Fifth-seeded UMaine plays tournament host, fourth-seeded Vermont, today at 10 a.m. in Burlington in the six-team, double-elimination tournament.

Maine split with Vermont at home in two close games, losing 2-0 and winning 3-2. And, having improved to 16-21-1 and 7-7 in the NAC after sweeping both doubleheaders last weekend, the Bears sophomore starters say they’re eager for the NAC Tournament.

“We’re finally hitting well,” Creegan said. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t defeat Vermont. Last year, we went into the tournament sixth and came out fourth. But we were a much better team than we showed.”

Anderson said the Bears have proven to be a different team ithree weeks with improved hitting, less errors and a more confident air. The sophomore class is much of the reason why.

Puls, the shortstop, leads the team in hitting (.336), RBIs (21) and in hits (39). Mary Wells, who plays third, leads the Bears in steals with 11 and runs with 26.

Creegan, who covers second, is second on the team in stolen bases with 10 and second in hits with 32. And center fielder Murphy rounds out the strong class with the fourth-best batting average (.266) on the team.

Both the Bears’ young nucleus and their coach say it makes no difference that few on the team have ever savored playoff victory. The hunger for a championship is all that matters.

“Maybe they haven’t had tournament experience, but they were all at the top of their league in high school,” Anderson said of her sophomore corps. “I don’t think the experience is what’s key. They’ve heard enough stories, they’re getting a taste for it. They want to be challenged. They have a go-and-try-to-beat-me attitude.”

The four sophomores said their aggressive attitude has developed with the team’s recent success.

Wells, a second team All-NAC pick, is one example of the struggles the Bears have overcome. All through April the sophomore wasn’t connecting at the plate, but that all changed in the last four games.

“She said to me the other day, `I’m 0-for-April,’ ” Anderson said. “But she worked through it. And it’s all come around.”

Wells was named the NAC Player of the Week this week for her role in Maine’s sweep of Towson State and Delaware, collecting eight hits in 11 plate appearances while scoring eight runs and stealing five bases. In the series with Delaware, Wells was 6-for-6 and assisted on 14 plays in the infield.

Wells said the combination of experience and the Bears’ recent success is all UMaine needs to be able to win the NAC Tournament.

“We’re coming off really good weekends,” Wells said. “We don’t have any weak spots.”

Maine will be without starting left fielder Katie Gamache. The junior from Lisbon Falls is out for the season after suffering a severe sprain of her left ankle while sliding into home plate during an April 21 game against Vermont.