BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Maine pitchers held the Catamounts to four hits, but seven walks cost the Black Bears dearly, as the University of Vermont claimed a 5-4 win in the opening game of the North Atlantic Conference softball tournament Friday.

Maine moves into the loser’s bracket and will play at noon Saturday against Drexel. Vermont will take on Delaware at 10 a.m.

Seeded fourth in the tournament, the Catamounts grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jen Winslow singled home Kristen Briggs. Vermont scored two more runs in the third when Mary Persson issued back-to-back walks to Karen Merrow and Carrie Beck with the bases loaded.

Kelly Dow’s triple pulled Maine back when she scored on a groundout RBI in the fourth, and the fifth-seeded Black Bears tied the game 3-3 when Shelly Legevre and Kathryn Murphy knocked out RBI-singles in the sixth.

Vermont plated two more in the sixth on Melissa Mattuchio’s fielder’s choice, and a groundout RBI to notch the win.

Maine loaded the bases in the seventh with two walks and a single, and the Black Bears plated one run before reliever Wendy Houston got Lefevre to ground out to end the game.

Cats 5, Black Bears 4

Maine (17-22-1) Vermont (14-16)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Wells, 3b 3 1 1 0 Briggs, rf 2 2 0 0

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

Puls, ss 4 1 2 0 Winslow, cf 3 2 1 1

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

a-Pace, pr 0 1 0 0 Knapp, pr 0 0 0 0

Lefevre, 1b 4 0 1 1 Smith, dh 0 0 0 0

Murphy, cf 3 0 1 2 Schoen, p 4 0 0 1

Cassie, lf 3 0 1 0 Montoya, 3b 3 0 0 0

Harrington, dh 3 0 0 0 Merrow, 2b 2 0 0 1

Bourget, rf 2 0 0 0 Beck, ss 2 0 2 1

b-Sullivan, pr 0 0 0 0 Turner, 1b 2 0 0 0

Persson, p 0 0 0 0 Houston, p 0 0 0 0

Burton, p 0 0 0 0

Totals 28 4 10 3 Totals 24 5 4 5

a-scored for Dow in sixth

b-pinch ran for Bourget in seventh

Maine 000 102 1 – 4

Vermont 102 002 x – 5

E – Puls, Bourget, Burton 2B – Beck 3B – Dow, Lefevre LOB – Maine 7, Vermont 10 SB – Briggs, Winslow, Knapp S – Creegan; Brown SF – Dow

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Maine

Persson 2 2/3 3 3 3 5 1

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

Vermont

Schoen (W, 7-8) 6 9 4 4 2 3

Houston 1 1 0 0 0 0

HBP – Persson WP – Persson; Schoen, Houston

MAC Tournament

At Standish, the University of Maine at Presque Isle scored a 1-0 victory over UMaine-Farmington in the opening game of the Maine Athletic Conference Tournament only to fall to Saint Joseph’s College 7-6 in the fourth game of the day.

In game two, Saint Joe’s beat the University of New England 8-0. In game three, UM-Farmington downed UNE 5-3.

In game one, Kim Chatman singled home Heather Brewer with two outs in the second to give the Owls the win. Brewer had a single, double and a triple to lead the Owls. Chatman and Lorie Smith each had two hits. Debbie Nakamura scattered five hits for the win.

Anne Connoly had two singles for Farmington.

Game four saw the Owls jump out to an early 6-2 lead before the Monks chipped their way back for the win.

Cindy Kamszik doubled home Nacy Pote in the sixth for the winning run. Kellee Murphy came on in the third to retire the final 15 batters and pick up the win. Dani Bernier had an RBI double for the Monks.

Brewer launched a three-run home run to spark a four-run fourth inning for the Owls.

UM-Farmington and UM-Presque Isle will meet at noon Saturday with the winner facing St. Joe’s at 2 p.m.

(First Game) UM-Presque Isle 010 000 0 – 1 7 1 UM-Farmington 000 000 0 – 0 5 1

Nakamura and Young; Vaughan and Searles (Second Game) U-New England 000 000 – 0 2 2 St. Joseph’s 102 212 – 8 12 0

Wintle and Hansen; M,urphy and Bernier (Third Game) U-New England (13-11) 030 000 0 – 3 9 1 UM-Farmington (19-6) 011 003 x – 5 6 0

Hendrickson and Hanson; Vaughan and Searles (Fourth Game) UM-Presque Isle (12-12) 240 000 0 – 6 9 3 St. Joe’s (31-7) 202 111 x – 7 10 0

Smith and Young; Kamszik, Murphy (3) and Bernier

College baseball

Husson 4, Castleton 0

At Rutland, Vt., senior tri-captian Mark Hreben scattered four hits, struck out 13 and walked seven to up his record to 6-1 and lead the Braves to the victory.

Sandy McCuaig’s RBI single in the third proved to be all the runs Husson would need. Chris Bagley added some insurance runs with a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Jeff Fogg added a single and a double for the winners.

Castleton was lead by Tim Cleo’s two singles.

The second game of the doubleheader was canceled due to rain.

Husson (13-16) 001 003 0 – 4 7 0 Castleton (16-18) 000 000 0 – 0 4 1

Hreben and Fogg; Demator and Brodie