College softball

AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT

No. 3 MAINE vs. No. 2 HARTFORD

Time, site: Thursday, 2:30 p.m.; Archie Post Field, Burlington, Vt.

Records: Maine 26-26 (13-11 America East), Hartford 22-13-1 (13-9)

Last meeting: Maine and Hartford split four games on April 6-7

Top hitters – Maine: 3B Leigh Ann Hlywak (.318, 11 HR, 34 RBI), SS Erica Sobel (.312, 2 HR, 26 RBI), CF Jess Brady (.303, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 9 SB), LF Nicole Taylor (.237, 1 HR, 10 RBI), RF Aliesha Rautenberg (.235, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 8 SB); Hartford: P Liz Nadeau (.380, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 15 SB), RF Monica Evrard (.296, 0 HR, 19 RBI), 2B Mallory Rapoza (.255, 1 HR, 8 RBI), C Amy Sullivan (.250, 3 HR, 17 RBI), 3B Liz Borawski (.243, 0 HR, 15 RBI)

Pitching Matchups

Maine Black Bears Hartford Hawks

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

RH Jenna Merchant 1.44 17-10 144 RH Andi Miller 1.06 8-6 102

RH Candace Jaegge 2.05 8-17 88 RH Liz Nadeau 1.23 9-7 68

Outlook: Miller is the reigning conference pitcher of the week and is striking out nearly a batter per inning. Maine’s pitching, which has been a strength, is a question mark: Merchant, the freshman ace, is nursing a stress fracture in her right foot and has not practiced all week. She did play with the injury against Binghamton last weekend. The foot problem became apparent in the seventh inning in Saturday’s first game, and Merchant didn’t pitch on Sunday, after the Bears had clinched a playoff berth. Either Boston University or Albany awaits on Friday in the four-team, double-elimination event.