ORONO – University of Maine catcher Lindsay Tibbetts and pitcher Jenna Merchant make good batterymates, and the two sophomores turned out to be key for the Black Bears on the offensive side of things in a four-game weekend sweep of Stony Brook at Kessock Field.

Merchant’s complete-game, three-strikeout effort helped Maine to a 1-0 victory over the Seawolves in Saturday’s opener, and she went 2-for-2 from the plate. The sophomore threw all 12 innings of Sunday’s first game, allowing just four hits in another 1-0 victory.

Tibbetts, meanwhile, caught both shutout wins and had the game-winning RBI single in Sunday’s opener.

Not to be outdone, freshman Sarah Bennis pitched UMaine to two wins, picking up a 6-2 victory Saturday and a 2-0 triumph Sunday.

It’s been several years since a Maine softball team swept a four-game series – coach Deb Smith, a 1994 UMaine graduate, couldn’t remember the last time the Bears had won a four-game weekend. Maine goes to 15-13, 4-2 in America East.

The Seawolves fall to 14-22 (4-6).

In Sunday’s opener, the Bears had several good chances to get a run across the plate, but the timely hits weren’t there. After a huge defensive save in the top of the 12th inning, Tibbetts came through for Maine.

Nikki Taylor of Chelsea led off the inning with a walk and got to second on a Lauren Dulkis sacrifice bunt. After a Sara Asadoorian groundout put Taylor at third, Stony Brook pitcher Angela Andrews intentionally walked Maine’s Jess Brady, who had the second highest batting average in the league entering the weekend. Tibbetts was due next.

She drove a groundball into left field, allowing Taylor to score the winning run.

“[Andrews] had been throwing me outside all day and this was kind of right down the middle where I like it,” Tibbetts said. “I was like, yes, finally one I know I can hit.”

It was Tibbetts who made the final out of the Seawolves’ half of the 12th. She caught a popup to end a bases-loaded threat. Tibbetts said she called for an inside pitch from Merchant to try to induce a popup.

“Lindsay called an impeccable game,” Merchant said. “She was perfect. It just made it real easy because all I had to do was set my spots.”

Maine freshman Amy Kuhl went 3-for-5 with three singles and classmate Brittany Cheney singled twice.

Stony Brook coach Megan Bryant was pleased with Andrews’ outing despite the pitcher’s one costly mistake.

“We walked the .400 hitter and took our chances with the next player … Angela hung one up there and the player did her job and knocked in the run,” Bryant said. “It was a heartbreaker but it was a well-played game on both sides.”

In Sunday’s nightcap, another Maine catcher provided the eventual winning run.

Senior Amanda Stevens grounded out in the second, but that allowed Dana Grimm to score from third. Grimm, a freshman, singled twice in the game. Bennis singled and scored in the fourth for an insurance run.

In Saturday’s first game, Brady scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning.

The sophomore from Jackman led off the inning with a triple to right field and scored on a Cheney single to center field. Cheney and Merchant finished the game with two singles apiece.

In Saturday’s second game, the Bears fended off a Stony Brook fifth-inning rally.

Stephanie McCarthy hit a solo homer and Kristen Brust hit an RBI single to cut Maine’s lead to 4-2, but the Bears plated two more runs in the sixth.

Kuhl doubled, single and drove in a run to power UMaine. Brady and Molly McKinney each singled twice.

Bennis earned the win, allowing five hits, three walks and two runs over five innings.

(Saturday’s First Game)

Stony Brook 000 000 0 – 0 4 0

Maine 100 000 x – 1 6 1

Andrews and S. McCarthy; Merchant and Tibbetts

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Stony Brook (14-20) 000 020 0 – 2 6 0

Maine (13-13) 013 002 x – 6 9 0

Paparella and S. McCarthy; Bennis, Merchant (5) and Stevens

BLACK BEARS 1, SEAWOLVES 0

(Sunday’s First Game, 12 innings)

Stony Brook (14-21) Maine (14-13)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

DiBiase, cf 5 0 1 0 Brady, cf 5 0 0

Bradford, lf-ss 3 0 0 0 Tibbetts, c 6 1

Brust, 1b 5 0 0 0 Cheney, ss 5 0 0

Durham, 3b 5 0 1 0 McKinney, rf 5 0 0

Stein, rf 4 0 0 0 Kuhl, dh 5 0 0

Servello, 2b 5 0 2 0 a-Provost 0 0 0

C. McCarthy 4 0 0 0 Merchant, p 4 0 0

Cavitt, dh-ss 3 0 0 0 Taylor, 1b 4 0

C. McCrthy, ss-dh 2 0 0 0 Dulkis, 3b 4 0

c-Andrews 2 0 0 0 Asadoorian, 2b 4 0 0

b-Grimm 0 0 0 0

Totals 38 0 4 0 Totals 42 1 8 1

a-ran for Kuhl in the second; b-walked for Asadoorian in the seventh; c-flied out for C. McCarthy in the eighth, grounded out for C. McCarthy in the 11th

Stony Brook 000 000 000 000 ? 0

Maine 000 000 000 001 ? 1

E?Brust, Andrews; LOB?Stony Brook 7, Maine 11; DP?Andrews-C. McCarthy-Brust; S?Bradford, C. McCarthy; Merchant, Dulkis; SB?Dulkis

Stony Brook IP H R ER BB SO

Andrews (L, 8-13) 11 2/3 8 1 1 3 3

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Merchant (W, 7-7) 12 4 0 0 3 7

T?2:47; ATT?100 (est.)

BLACK BEARS 2, SEAWOLVES 0

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Stony Brook (14-22) Maine (15-13)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

DiBiase, cf 4 0 1 0 Brady, cf 2 0 0

Bradford, ss 4 0 1 0 Dulkis, 3b 3 0 0

Brust, 1b 4 0 1 0 Cheney, ss 4 0 0

Durham, 3b 3 0 1 0 McKinney, dh 3 0 0

Servello, 2b 2 0 0 0 Asadoorian, 2b 0 0 0

Stein, rf 3 0 0 0 Kuhl, 1b 3 0 0

C. McCarthy, c 3 0 0 0 Grimm, rf 3 0

Paparella, p 3 0 1 0 Provost, lf 3 0 0

Cavitt, lf 2 0 0 0 Bennis, p 2 1 0

Andrews, lf 1 0 0 0 Stevens, c 3 0 1

Totals 29 0 5 0 Totals 26 2 7 1

Stony Brook 000 000 0 ? 0

Maine 010 100 x ? 2

E?Durham, Servello, Cavitt; Dulkis, Cheney, Kuhl, Asadoorian; LOB?Stony Brook 9, Maine 10; S?Servello; Dulkis

Stony Brook IP H R ER BB SO

Paparella (L, 6-9) 6 7 2 0 3 2

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Bennis (W, 7-5) 7 5 0 0 0 8

T?1:48; ATT?50 (est.)