After playing 24 games on a working spring break, the University of Maine softball team returned to Orono with a 5-19 record, and a team batting average of .193.

UMaine coach Deb Smith summed those numbers up with one word.

“Ugly,” she said with a shake of her head.

“When you hit under .200 as a team, and no one hits over .300, that pretty much tells you you’re not gonna score too many runs,” Smith said.

The Black Bears didn’t, tallying just 49 runs in their 24 games (an average of 2.04 per game). Meanwhile their opponents were able to hit a collective .298 and score 4.88 runs per contest.

The results: Disappointment, frustration, and a 13-game losing streak the Bears snapped on Friday against Bethune Cookman of Daytona Beach, Fla.

The Bears will look to rebound this weekend as they begin the northern half of their schedule with a Friday game at Maryland and two weekend doubleheaders at Delaware that kick off America East play.

UMaine was picked sixth out of eight teams in the America East preseason poll, which was released Tuesday. Hofstra received four first-place votes and was picked to win the conference. Delaware, Boston University, Towson and Drexel rounded out the top five.

Junior shortstop Erica Sobel said it was nice to win again heading into the northern half of the schedule.

“It took a big weight off our backs, and now we’re really ready for conference [games],” Sobel said. “… Me personally? I’m not even gonna think about Florida.”

Junior Leigh Ann Hlywak, who leads UMaine with a .273 batting average, three home runs and 11 RBIs, said that as the Bears struggled, even when she and her teammates made good contact, the balls didn’t drop in for hits.

That, combined with the .193 team batting average, stymied the Bears.

“Right now I don’t think our hitting is contagious,” Hlywak said. “A couple people get a hit, and four or five don’t. A couple more get a hit, six or seven don’t. It’s got to be contagious.”

Smith agreed that there were times when her team hit balls right at opposing fielders. But there were plenty more at bats that resulted in the ball not being put into play, she pointed out.

“We had over 500 at bats and we struck out [143] times,” Smith said.

Smith said that lack of success took its toll on her team.

“We had some players … who were hesitant to step into the box,” she said. “And when you do that as a hitter, a pitcher’s gonna dominate you.”

Smith said one of the bright spots for the Bears was the pitching of senior Carrie Green, who only had a 1-5 record to show for her nifty 2.82 earned run average.

Smith also singled out freshmen Nicole Taylor and Lauren Dulkis, along with juniors Karen Sherwood and Rachel Bain. The Bears suffered a blow late in the trip when junior outfielder Aleisha Rautenberg broke her hand while diving for a fly ball. She is expected to miss four weeks.

Sobel, who has been named the America East first-team all-league shortstop in each of her two years at UMaine, was among the Bears who struggled.

She returned from the southern swing hitting .219 with three homers and six RBIs. She entered her junior campaign with a .308 career average.

Sobel said she’s confident the Bears will bounce back.

“Obviously we had a rough trip down there, but right now we’re getting back on the right page and have been playing a little better of late,” Sobel said.

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SOFTBALL

Remaining 2001 Schedule

March

30 ? at Maryland, 1 p.m.

31 ? at Delaware (2), noon*

April

1 ? at Delaware (2), noon*

7 ? Drexel (2), noon*

8 ? Drexel (2), noon*

13 ? Hartford (2), 2 p.m.*

14 ? Hartford (2), 11 a.m.*

21 ? at Vermont (2), noon*

22 ? at Vermont (2), noon*

26 ? Bowdoin, 4:30 p.m.

28 ? Towson (2), noon*

29 ? Towson (2), noon*

May

2 ? at Colby, 4:30 p.m.

5 ? Hofstra (2), 1 p.m.*

6 ? Hofstra (2), 11 a.m.*

11-13 ? America East Tournament, at Newark, Del.

*America East conference game