College softball

MAINE vs. VERMONT

Time, site: Saturday, noon (2), Sunday, noon; Kessock Field, Orono

Records: Maine 20-12 (2-1 America East), Vermont 10-13 (1-2)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 39-24; Maine 3-1 on 4/17/05

Top hitters – Maine: SS Brittany Cheney (.333, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 15 SB), DH-1B Amy Kuhl (.318, 17 RBI), LF Molly McKinney (.280, 12 RBI), RF Erin Provost (.276, 12 RBI); Vermont: C-3B Whitney Borisenok (.339, 3 HR, 11 RBI), SS Kate Haber (.325, 11 RBI, 15 SB), P-UT Aimee Kern (.288, 4 RBI), 3B Kate DeForge (.250, 12 SB)

Pitching Matchups

Vermont Catamounts Maine Black Bears

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

RH Aimee Kern 1.56 8-6 98 RH Sarah Bennis 2.32 11-4 93

RH Alison Daggett 2.19 2-4 49 RH Jenna Balent 2.26 8-8 81

Outlook: The Black Bears will open Kessock Field for the season against a Catamount team improved from last year. Vermont opened conference play with a 1-2 weekend against America East contender BU, while Maine took two of three against Stony Brook. Kern has been huge for the Catamounts so far, allowing just four earned runs with a 0.82 ERA in her last 34 1/3 innings of work. She pitched two games against the Terriers, giving up one earned run with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. Maine 3B Tara Vilardo has come on for the Black Bears so far, batting .296 with 12 stolen bases. Cheney, second baseman Ashley Waters, and center fielder Dana Grimm have combined to steal 25 bases on 25 attempts, while Vilardo has been caught once. Maine will likely put pressure on the Catamounts, who have committed 2.17 errors per game this year.