ORONO – The University of Maine softball team often shows good patience at the plate and makes solid contact to put the ball into play.

But it doesn’t do much good when you start something with two outs, and that’s the situation Maine found itself in during the third game of a weekend series against Vermont.

The Bears had plenty of chances to drive in runs, but couldn’t get anything going as they tried for a sweep, falling 3-1 to the Catamounts at Kessock Field after earning 2-0 and 7-0 victories in Saturday’s games.

The Bears go to 22-20 (9-8 in America East) and are fourth going into this weekend’s regular-season finale three-game series at Hartford. The top four teams advance to the postseason tournament, which will be held in Orono May 13-15.

Sunday’s loss certainly won’t make it easy for the Bears to hang on to the final spot.

“A sweep would have [put us in better position than we are right now,” Maine coach Deb Smith said. “We needed it from a confidence standpoint, we needed it from a standings standpoint.”

Junior Jess Brady of Jackman was a bright spot for the Bears on Sunday. Her steal of third base in the third inning set UMaine’s career stolen base record at 45.

In Sunday’s game, Vermont scored three runs in the third inning thanks to some big hits and a Maine fielding mistake.

Gill Rappaport sparked the Catamounts with a one-out infield single and scored on a Kate Haber triple. Haber scored when Heidi Gebo scooted to first after Maine catcher Lindsey Tibbetts dropped a third strike in the dirt. Kate Ramsey doubled to plate Gebo.

“We got a few good ones, you string them together sometimes, and we hadn’t done it [Saturday],” Vermont coach Pam Childs said. “I think we were due.”

Maine got a run back in the fifth when Amy Kuhl drove in Brittany Cheney, who was at second after reaching on a fielder’s choice and moving up on a Molly McKinney single. But there were already two outs, so the inning ended when McKinney was put out trying for third on Kuhl’s single.

The Black Bears loaded the bases in the third with two outs but Kuhl flied out. Maine had the top of the order up in the seventh, but again couldn’t get anything going until it was too late. Brady and Lauren Dulkis led off with groundouts and Cheney singled, but McKinney flied out.

“We’re trying to stay consistent and it’s just not working for us now,” Brady said. “Today we were getting the hits, making contact, but it just wasn’t at the right time or it wasn’t solid enough to get it done.”

The Catamounts had 10 errors in the series but made all the routine plays Sunday.

Jenna Merchant, who won Saturday’s opener, relieved Candace Jaegge in the fourth. She struck out three and didn’t allow a baserunner.

In Saturday’s first game, Sara Asadoorian and Dulkis each had an RBI single to provide the only offense the Bears would need. That’s because Merchant struck out three and limited the Catamounts to two hits and three walks.

BLACK BEARS 2, CATAMOUNTS 0

(Saturday’s First Game)

Vermont (5-29-2) Maine (21-19)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Haber, ss 3 0 0 0 Brady, cf 3 1 0

Gebo, cf 4 0 0 0 Dulkis, 3b 3 0 1

DeForge, 3b 2 0 0 0 Cheney, ss 3 0 0

Ramsey, dh 2 0 1 0 McKinney, rf 3 0 0

b-Callan 0 0 0 0 Kuhl, dh-1b 2 1 0

Chase, c 3 0 1 0 Soule, c 0 0 0

Stebbins, rf 3 0 0 0 c-Vilardo 0 0 0

Quinn, 2b 1 0 0 0 Provost, lf 2 0 0

Miller, 1b 3 0 0 0 Merchant, p 3 0 0

a-Sommariva 0 0 0 0 Taylor, 1b 2 0 0

Doonan, lf 1 0 0 0 Foltz, dh 0 0 0

Rappaport, lf 2 0 0 0 Asadoorian, 2b 3 2

Totals 24 0 2 0 Totals 24 2 8 2

a-ran for Miller in the 5th; b-ran for Ramsey in the 6th; c-ran for Kuhl in the 6th

Vermont 000 000 0 ? 0

Maine 011 000 x ? 2

E?Cheney 2; LOB?Vermont 8, Maine 7; S?Quinn; Provost; SB?Callan

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Massey (L, 3-15) 6 8 2 2 2 5

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Merchant (W, 6-4) 7 2 0 0 3 4

HBP?Haber by Merchant; WP?Massey; PB?Chase; Soule; T?1:46; ATT?150 (est.)

BLACK BEARS 7, CATAMOUNTS 0

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Vermont (5-30-2) Maine (22-19)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Haber, ss 3 0 2 0 Brady, cf 4 1 1

Gebo, cf 2 0 0 0 Dulkis, 3b 3 1 0

a-Montgomery 1 0 0 0 Cheney, ss 3 0 0

DeForge, 3b 3 0 1 0 McKinney, dh 3 2 0

Ramsey, dh 3 0 0 0 Kuhl, 1b 4 0 1

Chase, c 3 0 0 0 Provost, lf 4 1 1

Stebbins, rf 3 0 1 0 Tibbetts, c 3 1 0

Quinn, 2b 3 0 0 0 Grimm, rf 2 1 0

Miller, 2b 2 0 1 0 Asadoorian, 2b 3 0 1

Rappaport, lf 2 0 0 0

Totals 25 0 5 0 Totals 29 7 7 4

a-struck out for Gebo in the 6th

Vermont 000 000 0 ? 0

Maine 600 100 x ? 7

E?Haber 6, DeForge, Chase, Stebbins; LOB?Vermont 4, Maine 8; 2B?McKinney, Provost; SB?Provost, Brady

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Burke (L, 0-5) 2/3 2 6 4 2 1

Doonan 5 1/3 5 1 1 2 4

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

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

WP?Burke 2; PB?Chase; Tibbetts; T?1:55

CATAMOUNTS 3, BLACK BEARS 1

(Sunday’s Game)

Vermont (6-30-2) Maine (22-20)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Haber, ss 2 1 1 1 Brady, cf 4 0 0

Gebo, cf 2 1 0 0 Dulkis, 3b 3 0 0

DeForge, 3b 3 0 0 0 Cheney, ss 3 1 0

Ramsey, dh 3 0 1 1 McKinney, rf 3 0 0

Chase, c 3 0 0 0 Kuhl, 1b 3 0 1

Stebbins, rf 3 0 1 0 Provost, lf 3 0 0

Quinn, 2b 3 0 0 0 Foltz, dh 2 0 0

Miller, 1b 3 0 0 0 Tibbetts, c 3 0 0

Rappaport, lf 2 1 1 0 a-Vilardo 0 0

Asadoorian, 2b 3 0 0 0

Totals 24 3 4 2 Totals 27 1 6 1

a-ran for Tibbetts in the 6th

Vermont 003 000 0 ? 3

Maine 000 010 0 ? 1

E?DeForge, Rappaport; LOB?Vermont 2, Maine 9; 2B?Ramsey; 3B?Gebo; DP?Dulkis-Asadoorian-Kuhl; S?Gebo; SB?Brady

Vermont IP H R ER BB SO

Massey (W, 4-15) 7 6 1 1 3 3

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Jaegge (L, 8-6) 3 4 3 1 1 2

Merchant 4 0 0 0 0 3

HBP?Foltz by Massey; WP?Massey; PB?Tibbetts; T?1:41; ATT?200 (est.)