BANGOR – With eight first-year players filling key roles for the Husson College softball team, the squad’s trip to Florida proved testy.

But the Braves are finding ways to remain upbeat.

They’re making progress. The string of games against NCAA Division II schools is over. And junior shortstop Erin Weston has come up with some creative accounting that can’t hurt morale, either.

“We are 2-4 now,” she said, conveniently putting the winless Florida trip into the history books. “None of those games are in our region, so they really kind of don’t count.”

The Braves compiled a 14-16 record in 2001, but have struggled to a 2-16 start this year.

Coach Randy Dodge said the inexperience of his team has been obvious in early games.

“We had to bring in 13 freshmen, with eight of them playing,” Dodge said.

“We only start two upperclassmen. Erin Weston and Sam Scott are the only two players from last year’s team that are even playing. … But the freshmen have stepped right in.”

Weston, who grew up in Brownville Junction and played at Penquis High in Milo, said the Braves aren’t willing to let the slow start stand in the way of the team’s goal to make the Region X playoffs.

“We knew it was gonna take us awhile to get going, but [we want] to do good in our conference and make the playoffs,” Weston said.

Because there aren’t enough teams in the Maine Athletic Conference to merit an automatic bid to the national tourney, two of the five MAC teams (Husson, St. Joseph’s, UM-Presque Isle, UM-Farmington, and Thomas) and two teams from the Mayflower conference vie for the regional title.

The Braves have been led at the plate by first-year player Nicole Duplisea of Millinocket, who plays center field and is hitting .323.

Duplisea attended UM-Presque Isle last year, but did not play softball. She said an incident during her senior season at Stearns High in Millinocket contributed to that decision.

“I got hit in the head by a line drive when I was pitching,” she said. “It was a pretty serious injury, so I was pretty scared of the ball. It took me awhile to get back into it.”

Weston, a first-team all-league player as a sophomore, is batting .237 and has 10 stolen bases. Pitcher Jaime Wells of Hampden has a no-hitter to her credit, is hitting .172, and has eight stolen bases.

Rhonda Chambers of Island Falls is hitting .411 in eight games while Missy Michaud of Sebec boasts a .333 average in six contests. Second baseman Scott of Sullivan is hitting .181.

Duplisea said offense is the key for the Braves.

“We’ll be really successful if we can get our bats together,” she said. “Definitely. We’re gonna start winning and kicking everyone’s butts.”