College softball

America East Championship

MAINE vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Time, site: Saturday, 11 a.m.; 2:30 p.m. (if necessary), Kessock Field, Orono

Records: BU 24-31; Maine 27-20

Series, last meeting: Maine 2-0 (10 inns.), BU 3-0 on 4/28/04

Top hitters – BU: SS Jamie Haas (.354, 12 RBI, 18 SB), LF DeKenya Williams (.286, 21 RBI, 5 HR), CF Abbey Pauley (.267, 8 RBI, 11 SB), 1B Liz Alley (.268, 36 RBI, 12 HR); Maine: CF Jess Brady (.369, 20 RBI, 16 SB), SS Brittany Cheney (.316, 5 HR, 19 RBI), 3B Lauren Dulkis (.288, 14 RBI), 1B Amy Kuhl (.275, 21 RBI)

Possible Pitching Matchup

BU Terriers Maine Black Bears

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

RH Ashlee Freeman 2.04 17-13 142 RH Jenna Merchant 1.47 10-4 66

Outlook: Maine, making its first championship game appearance since 1994, needs just one win in to advance to the NCAA Regionals. Merchant looks to rebound from Friday’s shaky start against Stony Brook in which she allowed six hits and four earned runs before she was pulled in the third inning. Friday winner Sarah Bennis (1.66 ERA, 102 strikeouts) will be available for relief. Merchant owns a win over the Terriers earlier this season (seven hits, 12 strikeouts, five walks in a 10-inning shutout). OF-DH Molly McKinney went 4-for-6 in the April doubleheader. Freeman pitched 16 innings in two games Friday.