Husson posts NAC sweep of Wheelock Eagles’ Berry provides unexpected power

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CASTINE – For most of the season, Cassie Berry has batted in the third or fourth spot for the Husson College softball team. She didn’t do well there, Berry admitted Saturday, and seemed to be bunting the ball in the infield. Not exactly the kind of power a team looks for in its cleanup hitter.

First-year Eagles coach Amanda Davey recently moved Berry to the leadoff spot. Once again, the freshman from Damariscotta did the opposite of what’s expected from a leadoff hitter. This time, however, Husson will take what Berry has been producing.

Berry had a huge effort in a doubleheader against Wheelock College of Boston, contributing three home runs, five RBIs and six runs scored as Husson of Bangor cruised to 16-1 and 9-1 wins in a North Atlantic Conference matchup.

The teams played on Maine Maritime Academy’s Ritchie Field, which has artificial turf, because Husson’s O’Keefe Complex is still unplayable.

Both games Saturday ended because of the eight-run rule.

Berry finished the twinbill 6-for-7 with a triple, double and single in addition to her first home runs of the season. She homered in her first at-bat.

“I am getting more comfortable,” Berry said of the leadoff role. “I wasn’t going doing very well, so [Davey] moved me up. I was bunting more. But now I’m hitting.”

In the first game, Husson (6-15 overall, 5-0 in the NAC) scored five runs in the first and then piled on 10 more in the second. In the second inning alone, Berry hit an RBI double, singled and scored two runs.

“She has a really good swing,” Wheelock coach Kristin Furdon said. “We made some really good pitches on her but she held off and that’s what good hitters do.”

Milo’s Michelle Mulherin and Brittni Adams of Bucksport also got in on the home run parade. Mulherin hit a three-run, line-drive homer in the second, while Adams hit her two-run shot later in the inning.

Adams added an RBI single in the third and Jenny Rollins of Corinth plated one run each on a triple and a sacrifice fly. Shannon Pietras of Chester tripled, singled and scored twice.

“I think [Wheelock’s] pitchers were slower than what we’re used to,” Berry said. “We were able to time it better.

Although the Eagles pounded out 28 hits in the two games, including 11 for extra bases, it wasn’t only their big bats that helped rack up runs. Husson stole bases, used sacrifices to move players and took advantage of Wheelock errors.

“We can bunt for hits, we can make the big hits and get the big hits when we need them,” said Husson pitcher Alicia LaGrange, who earned a win in the nightcap. “We have complete confidence in our whole lineup. I mean, our leadoff batter hits home runs now.”

Husson pitcher Ashlee Paschal went to her changeup frequently and limited Wheelock to five hits while striking out three. Neither Eagle pitcher gave up a walk in the two games.

Presque Isle native Dannah Roope provided Wheelock with its only run on an RBI single in the third.

In the second game, Husson’s offense was strong again while LaGrange tossed a four-hitter with four strikeouts. She retired 13 in a row during a stretch from the second inning to the sixth.

“[Catcher Shawna Bell] worked the outside quite a bit and the umpire seemed to be calling those, so it was just low fastballs all day,” LaGrange said. “A few inside pitches, they popped them up and hit them to Cassie at second.”

The Eagles scored three runs in the first running and two more in the second to put the game out of reach early. Bell went 3-for-4 with three singles and two runs scored, while Mulherin hit three singles and drove in a run.

Adams also had a fine second game including a two-run single in the sixth that gave Husson its eighth and ninth runs and ended the game.

“They hit us hard today,” Furdon said. “They stayed back on our pitches. We tried some different things today, but they’re a very good hitting team and we just had to deal with that.”

Roope recorded an RBI on lone run for Wheelock (2-11, 1-5) in the first inning.

EAGLES 16, WILDCATS 1

(Saturday’s First Game)

Wheelock (1-10) Husson (5-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Seidner, ss 3 0 1 0 Berry, 2b 4 3 2

Siebert, cf 2 1 1 0 Kelley, lf 1 2 1

Ordile, c 2 0 1 0 Varney, lf 2 1 1

Roope, 3b 2 0 1 1 Bell, c 2 1 2 0

Cook, 1b 2 0 0 0 Rollins, 3b 1 1 2

Viger, 2b 2 0 1 0 Wormell, 3b 1 0 0

O’Neil, dh 2 0 0 0 Mulherin, dh 4 3 3

Butler, lf 1 0 0 0 Pruett, ss 3 1 1

Leveille, ph 1 0 0 0 Mitchell, rf 2 1 0

Laudani, rf 2 0 0 0 Stickney, rf 1 0 0

Adams, cf 3 1 2 2

Pietras, 1b 2 2 2 0

Peabody, 1b 0 0 0 0

Totals 19 1 5 1 Totals 26 16 14 12

Wheelock 0 0 1 00 – 1

Husson 5(10)1 0x – 16

E-Siebert, Ordile, Wear; LOB-Wheelock 3, Husson 6; 2B-Berry, Varney, Bell, Pruett; 3B-Rollins, Pietras; HR-Bell, Mulherin, Adams; S-Bell; SF-Rollins; SB-Siebert; Pruett

Wheelock IP H R ER BB SO

Wear (L) 4 14 16 13 6 1

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

Paschal (W) 5 5 1 1 0 3

PB-Bell; T-1:10

EAGLES 9, WILDCATS 1

(Saturday’s Second Game)

Wheelock (1-11) Husson (6-15)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Seidner, p 3 1 1 0 Berry, 2b 3 3 3

Siebert, cf 3 0 1 0 Varney, lf 4 0 1

Ordile, ss 3 0 1 0 Bell, c 4 1 3 0

Roope, 3b 3 0 0 0 Rollins, 3b 4 0 0

Viger, c 2 0 0 0 Mulherin, cf 4 2 1

Cook, 1b 2 0 0 0 Mitchell, rf 4 0 0

O’Neil, lf 2 0 0 0 Stickney, dh 3 1 0

Butler, dh 2 0 0 0 Adams, ss 4 2 2

Brock, 2b 0 0 0 0 Pietras, 1b 2 0 1

Laudani, rf 2 0 1 0

Totals 22 1 4 0 Totals 32 9 14 8

Wheelock 100 000 – 1

Husson 320 212 – 9

E-Siebert, Cook; LOB-Wheelock 3, Husson 7; 3B-Ordile; Berry; HR-Berry 2; S-Pietras, Stickney; SB-Roope; Adams

Wheelock IP H R ER BB SO

Seidner (L) 5 2/3 14 9 7 1 5

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

LaGrange (W) 6 4 1 1 0 4

PB-Viger; T-1:06; ATT-36

Game ended with two outs in the bottom of the sixth