ORONO – The University of Maine softball team needed to sweep the University of Vermont on Saturday to stay in the chase for the fourth and final America East Tournament spot, but Vermont dashed the Bears’ hopes early.

The visiting Catamounts defeated the Black Bears 3-2 in the opener before being shutout 3-0 in the second game.

Maine’s split on Saturday, combined with fourth-place Towson’s sweep of Drexel (2-1, 1-0), mathematically eliminated the Bears.

Maine then swept convincingly Sunday with two 6-0 victories to finish the season 27-24. Vermont finished at 8-37.

Saturday, Sara Jewett tied the America East single-season RBI mark (45) with her single that scored UMaine’s first run in the first. She then broke the record with two more RBIs off a single in her final at-bat on Sunday.

In Saturday’s first game, Maine’s Carrie Green gave up one earned run and five hits in the game, but the Bears error in the third led to the two unearned runs that decided the game.

Karyn McMullin paced Maine with a single, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Jewett doubled.

Vermont’s Cheri Tomas went the distance, allowing six hits to earn the win and end the Catamount’s 10-game losing streak.

In the second game, Ashley Yuhas and Nicole Sawyer combined to throw a shutout for the Bears. Yuhas allowed two hits, striking out five over six and a third innings, while Sawyer got the final two outs to add to her natoinal lead in saves (9).

In Sunday’s first game, Green went the distance, allowing four hits in seven innings to earn her fourth shutout, while McMullin drilled a three-run homer in the first to give Maine the lead for good.

In the second game, Jewett paced Maine with two singles, three runs scored and her two RBIs; while Erica Sobel scored and collected three singles and Leigh Ann Hlywak singled twice and drove in three runs.

Amanda Surgen paced Vermont with two singles.

(Saturday’s first game) Vermont 102 000 0 – 3 5 1 Maine 000 011 0 – 2 6 1

Toms and Connor; Green and Jewett (Saturday’s second game) Vermont 000 000 0 – 0 2 0 Maine 100 002 x – 3 6 1

Totaro and Connor; Yuhas and Bain (Sunday’s first game) Vermont 000 000 0 – 0 4 2 Maine 300 300 x – 6 6 1

Green and Jewett; Toms and Connor (Sunday’s second game) Vermont (8-37) 000 000 0 – 0 3 0 Maine (27-24) 201 030 x – 6 9 0

Yuhas and Bain; Totaro and Collis

USM splits, loses title

At Danbury, Conn., Nicole Castor paced Keene State College’s 16-hit attack with a double, homer and two singles as the fourth-seeded Owls defeated the second-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies 10-2 in the championship game of the Little East Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday.

The Owls won their second straight LEC championship to advance to next weekend’s NCAA regional tournament. The Huskies, who advanced to the title game with their 2-1 win over top-seeded Western Connecticut earlier in the day, still have a shot at an NCAA tournamnet at-large berth or an ECAC Division III North tournament berth.

USM put six players on the 14-team All-Conference Tournament, they were: Erica Gagnon of Oakland, Becky Manson, June LaVallee of Sidney, Sarah McLean, Beth Fulton, Melissa Buccieri of Lebanon.

In Saturday’s first game, the Huskies got their two runs in the second inning when Fulton and Katie True singled and LaVallee scored both with a double.

Gagnon of Oakland made the runs stand allowing an unearned run and giving up four hits and one walk.

In the title game, the Owls put the game away with five runs in the third.

Buccieri’s RBI double and McLean’s RBI single paced USM.

(Saturday’s first game) We. Connecticut 000 001 0 – 1 4 2 So. Maine 020 000 x – 2 5 2

Manning and Lynch; Gagnon and Fulton (Sunday’s first game) So. Maine (26-12-1) 011 000 – 2 9 4 Keene State (24-13) 305 002 – 10 16 0

Becher and Fulton and Zimmerman and Blad

St. Joseph’s advances to final

At Standish, Saint Joseph’s won both its games on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Castleton and a 2-0 victory over Lyndon State to advance to Sunday’s championship game in the NAIA Region 10 Independent softball championships at Ward Field on Saturday.

Thomas College of Waterville split, losing the day’s first game, 3-2 and winning game three 4-2.

In the first game, Jean Norrir earned the shutout win for Lyndon State, scattering five hits and Jodi Raymond went 4-for-4 including an RBI double in the third to lead the Hornets to the 3-2 win.

In the second game, Janice DiNobile hit an RBI double to deep center to lift the Monks to a 2-1 win over Castleton State.

In the third game, Katie Morrell had two singles and two RBIs as Thomas College staved off elimination in the 4-2 win.

The Terriers took a 2-0 lead in the first off four hits and an error. After, Heather Farrell of Calais and Betsy Pratt of Turner reached on singles both scored on a single to left by Morrell. Thomas got the deciding run in the second when Charity Labell of Biddeford knocked in Devon Burnell of Standish.

In Saturday’s fourth game, Webster pitched her first career no-hitter, striking out four batters as St. Joseph’s won 4-0.

Sarah Webster of Searsport faced 22 batters, forcing five fly-outs and 12 ground balls to earn her 11th win.

The Monks took the lead in the first when Sue Picard of Saco led off with a single and Heather Skolfield of Lisbon scored her on a single.

Lyndon State 104 000 1 – 6 9 3 Thomas 000 000 0 – 0 5 1

Norrir and Brault; Labelle and Farrell Castleton State 000 400 0 – 1 2 2 St. Joseph’s 100 000 1 – 2 13 0

Reed and Julius; Gaudette and Picard Thomas 210 000 1 – 4 6 5 Castleton State 000 001 1 – 2 5 3

Burnell and Farrell; Higgins, Reed (3) and Swenson St. Joseph’s (21-16) 100 001 2 – 4 8 1 Lyndon State (13-9) 000 000 0 – 0 0 1

Webster and Picard; Keating and Breault

Baseball

Suffolk 9, Colby 4

At Waterville, Joe Duca contributed a three-run home run in the first inning of Suffolk’s victory to pace the visiting Rams.

Mike Anastasia added a home run, a double and a single while Nick Melchionna hit three singles for Suffolk. Jared Leach had a double.

Andy Tripp paced Colby with a two-run home run and three RBI.

Suffolk (31-10) 400 000 122 – 9 15 1 Colby (12-18) 220 000 000 – 4 7 2

Russell and Pellerin; Baranoff, Conley (7), Moro (8) and Smith

Southern Maine sweeps

At Plymouth, N.H., Denny Webber and Ryan Adams combined for a three-hit shutout in the first game and Tyler Delorme paced a 17-hit attack with three hits and four RBIs in the second game as the Huskies swept Plymouth State 5-0 and 18-8.

In the first game, Webber struck out nine and had no walks. Delorme hit an RBI single in the first and Andy Lang hit a solo homer in the second.

In the nightcap, Corey Mastin hit a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly to drive in four of Southern Maine’s runs. Delorme’s two-run homer led the way for a eight-run fifth inning.

The Panthers built a 7-2 lead over the first four innings as Corey Mastin hit a three-run homer in the first inning and had a scarfice fly in the foruth.

(First Game) Southern Maine 111 000 020 – 5 9 0 Plymouth State 000 000 000 – 0 3 1

Webber, Adams (9) and L’Italien; Provencher and Tupman (Second Game) Southern Maine (28-10) 200 080 602 – 18 17 1 Plymouth State (15-16-1) 420 110 000 – 8 11 2

Russell, Southwick (1), Pelletier (2), Adams (4), Gunning (9) and L’Italien; Burke, Arguimbau (5), Freeman (5), Orlosky (7), Rich (7) and Tupman

Lacrosse

Colby 20, Babson 4

At Waterville, 11 players scored for the White Mules in their win Saturday.

Marcia Ingraham tallied four goals and one assist, while Nicki Furek added three goals and three assists. Lauren Gremelspacher scored three goals and Katie Liggio and Ally King had two each for (9-5) Colby. Goalies Mary Zito and Anna Schierlberl Scherr combined for four saves.

Kaite Matthews recorded three goals and an assist for 6-10 Babson. Abby Howe made 10 saves.