CASTINE – The Maine Maritime Academy softball team hit the ball hard in the first game of Sunday morning’s North Atlantic Conference doubleheader against Wheelock College at Ritchie Field. The Mariners just couldn’t find the openings.

The gaps appeared for MMA at key moments in the second game, especially for Mariners freshman Katie Quimby.

The Orrington native went 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored to pace Maine Maritime to a 6-0 win over the Wildcats of Boston, who won the opener 3-0.

It was a welcome split for both teams. The Mariners (3-6 overall, 3-2 in the NAC) dropped a doubleheader to Saint Joseph’s Saturday afternoon and Husson College of Bangor beat Wheelock (2-13, 1-7) twice Saturday evening.

“We just have to keep progressing like we have been,” said MMA senior Maegan Cloutier, who pitched the win in the second game.

In the second game, the temperatures dipped in advance of an approaching storm but MMA’s offense finally heated up.

The Mariners stranded runners at second and third in the first inning but finally got on the board in the second when South Portland’s Cloutier drew a leadoff walk – one of seven walks given up by losing pitcher Shannon Wear – and eventually scored.

Quimby helped MMA score two more in the third as she hit a line-drive triple to center and scored on a Nicole Poland single. Poland came in on a double by Otisfield’s Darcy Herrick.

“We found gaps and hit line drives,” Quimby said.

She added an RBI groundout in the fourth, plating Jessica Whittaker of Calais after Whittaker was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on an error. Cloutier also scored in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Bucksport’s Katie Allen.

Five different Mariners stole a base.

Cloutier had a fine outing in the circle. She gave up three hits and one walk, all in the first two innings, and didn’t allow a baserunner the rest of the way. She was also backed by error-free defense which recorded 15 of the final 16 outs.

“I was just trying to work the corners and not throw anything down the middle,” Cloutier said. “My fielders were behind me making the plays.”

In the first game, the Mariners played well overall but just couldn’t move baserunners. Four of MMA’s five runners left on were in scoring position, with three at third base.

Mariners like Quimby hit the ball hard, but right to Wheelock’s defense. Quimby flew out three times on hard shots, including once in the bottom of the seventh when all three MMA outs came on flyouts to center.

“I think we had trouble getting used to their pitcher,” Quimby said. “We started hitting late in the game. … We had trouble getting [baserunners around].”

Poland doubled for Maine Maritime.

Presque Isle native Dannah Roope said the Wildcats didn’t give in to the pressure of MMA’s runners at third.

“We stayed focused and made the outs we needed to,” said Roope, who is a senior captain.

Roope and winning pitcher Stacy Seidner each had an RBI single in Wheelock’s second inning.

“We were right on [Husson pitcher Whittaker] in the first game, making good contact and getting people on base, and moving them around,” Roope said. “[Whittaker] was throwing strikes in there and we were just connecting.”

WILDCATS 3, MARINERS 0

(Sunday’s First Game)

Wheelock (2-12) Maine Maritime (2-6)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Siebert, cf 3 1 1 0 Gaylord, cf 3 0 0

Viger, c 4 1 2 0 McKay, rf 2 0 0

Ordile, ss 3 0 1 0 Allen, rf 1 0 0

Roope, 3b 4 1 2 1 Poland, 3b 3 0 0

Cook, rf 4 0 0 0 Herrick, lf 3 0 0

Seidner, p 2 0 1 1 Cloutier, ss 3 0 0

Wear, 1b 3 0 1 1 Seamons, 1b 3 0 0

Leveille 3 0 0 0 Quimby, 2b 3 0 0

Butler, lf 3 0 0 0 Burns, c 3 0 0

Stover, dh 2 0 1 0

Totals 29 3 8 3 Totals 26 0 5 0

Wheelock 002 010 0 – 3

Maine Maritime 000 000 0 – 0

LOB-Wheelock 8, Maine Maritime 5; 2B-Poland; DP-Whittaker-Burns-Seamons; SB-Herrick, Burns, Gaylord

Wheelock IP H R ER BB SO

Seidner (W, 2-7) 7 5 0 0 1 5

Maine Maritime IP H R ER BB SO

Whittaker (L, 2-4) 7 8 3 3 3 3

T-1:11

MARINERS 6, WILDCATS 0

(Sunday’s Second Game)

Wheelock (2-13) Maine Maritime (3-6)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Siebert, cf 3 0 0 0 Gaylord, cf 2 0 0

Viger, 1b-c 3 0 1 0 Quimby, 2b 4 1 1

Ordile, c-ss 3 0 1 0 Poland, 3b 3 1 1

Roope, 3b 3 0 0 0 Herrick, ss 3 0 1

Cook, rf 3 0 0 0 Seamons, 1b 3 0 0

Seidner, ss-p 3 0 0 0 Cloutier, p 1 0

Wear, p-1b 2 0 0 0 Burns, c 1 1 0

Leveille, 2b 2 0 0 0 Allen, rf-lf 2 0 1

Butler, lf 2 0 1 0 Whittaker, lf 1 1 0

McKay, rf 1 0 0 0

Totals 24 0 3 0 Totals 21 6 6 4

Wheelock 000 000 0 – 0

Maine Maritime 012 300 x – 6

E-Roope; LOB-Wheelock 4, Maine Maritime 8; 3B-Quimby; DP-Leveille (unassisted); S-Burns; SF-Allen; SB-Gaylord, Quimby, Burns, Poland, Cloutier

Wheelock IP H R ER BB SO

Mean (L, 0-6) 4 4 6 6 7 0

Seidler 2 2 0 0 0 0

Maine Maritime IP H R ER BB SO

Cloutier (W, 1-2) 7 3 0 0 1 1

HBP-Whittaker (by Wear); WP-Wear; T-1:07; ATT-33