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BANGOR – The stress of an elimination game produced an entertaining battle between the Husson College Eagles and Thomas College Terriers in their North Atlantic Conference softball losers bracket game Friday afternoon.
There was clutch pitching, timely hits, defensive gems and no shortage of mistakes as Husson avenged two regular-season losses with a come-from-behind 3-2 triumph.
Freshman righthander Tammie Arsenault pitched out of two huge jams in the sixth and seventh innings to enable the Eagles to advance to Saturday’s elimination game against Lesley University (Mass.).
Earlier in the day, fourth-seeded University of Maine-Farmington had upset the top-seeded Eagles 3-2 on Katelyn Ross’ two-out tie-breaking single in the sixth and Lesley College received four hits and two RBIs from Jodi Fralick to edge Thomas 6-5.
In the day’s final game, UM-Farmington beat Lesley 3-2 in the winners bracket game. Husson and Lesley will meet in Saturday’s elimination game at noon and the winner will play UM-Farmington at 2.
The if-necessary championship game would be Sunday at 1.
In the losers bracket game, Arsenault pitched out of a second-and-third, no-outs predicament in the sixth and a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the seventh to pick up the win.
“I just tried to keep my pitches down and throw strikes,” said Arsenault, who scattered 10 hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Just one run was earned.
Nickie Smith of Bucksport pitched very well in defeat, allowing just two earned runs with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Husson tied the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth and won it with an unearned run in the seventh.
In the sixth, Carolyn McAvoy scorched a line drive that handcuffed left fielder Lindsay Sierra and went to the fence for a double. Two outs later, Jenika Kelley turned on a 3-1 pitch and ripped it just inside the third base line for an RBI double.
“I was just trying to fight it off or hit on the ground. I usually have pretty good luck beating out ground balls,” said Kelley.
“Jenika has come through with clutch hits all year,” said Husson coach Amanda Davey.
In the seventh, Brittni Adams hit a comebacker to the mound but reached when Smith overthrew first.
“My arm was so tight,” explained Smith, who had pitched a complete game earlier against Lesley.
Cassie Berry then grounded an infield single to the shortstop hole. When Adams tried to go to third, first baseman Kim Denbow overthrew third, allowing Adams to score.
“I definitely had a play on her,” said Denbow. “But I had to stretch out for the throw [from shortstop Brittany Morin], so I was off-balance when I threw to third.”
Thomas had plenty of opportunities to win.
After a Kristy Clements single and a two-base throwing error by Husson shortstop McAvoy put runners on second and third with no outs in the sixth, Arsenault induced a shallow flyout, catcher Jenny Rollins picked off the runner at third and another flyout ended the threat.
Denbow hit a sharp single to center to open the seventh for the Terriers and one-out infield singles by Jen Higgins and Mallorie Blakney loaded the bases.
But Arsenault got the second out when Morin hit into a 6-2 fielder’s choice and then induced Thomas RBI leader Clements to ground to third.
“[Clements] is a phenomenal hitter. I think she’s 13-for-15 against us,” said Davey.
“That was nerve-wracking,” said Arsenault. “I threw her a drop ball and tried to get it in on her hands.”
Thomas coach Paul Rodrigue said, “We just didn’t execute when we needed to. We didn’t get timely hits.”
Morin staked Thomas to a 1-0 lead with a bloop single to center to score the speedy Higgins, who had reached on the first of her four singles.
Megan Richard’s two-out RBI single in the second tied it before Thomas regained the lead in the bottom of the second as Higgins delivered the run with an infield hit.
Bell and Richard had two singles each for Husson while Higgins’ four hits were complemented by Clements’ two base hits.
Diving catches by Thomas right fielder Blakney and Husson center fielder Adams highlighted the defensive gems.
In the tourney opener, Brewer’s Sarah DeFilipp spaced eight hits and an earned run with four strikeouts and a walk for UM-Farmington.
Arsenault had seven-hitter with two strikeouts and a walk. She gave up just one earned run.
Ross and Megan Goodrow had two singles each for UMF, while Rollins and Kelley had two each for Husson.
In the second game, Fralick’s four-hit game was supported by Georgia Saltzman’s double, single and two RBIs and Alyson Durben’s triple and single.
Clements doubled twice and Smith, Sierra and Julia Lorenz had two singles each for Thomas.
In the final game, Kelley McDonough’s bases-loaded single in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie to give UMF its win over Lesley.
McKell Barnes hit a two-run homer for UMF and DeFilipp tossed an eight-hitter with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Gianna Spaziante’s three singles and Sarah Wilson’s two singles paced Lesley.
(First Game)
UM-Farmington (23-7) 101 001 0 – 3 7 2
Husson (29-11) 011 000 0 – 2 8 3
DeFilipp and Barnes; Arsenault and Bell
(Second Game)
Thomas (21-12) 200 000 3 – 5 12 4
Lesley (27-9) 101 030 1 – 6 9 3
Smith and Clements; Burnett and Fralick
(Third Game)
Husson (30-11) 010 001 1 – 3 9 2
Thomas (21-13) 110 000 0 – 2 10 3
Arsenault and Bell; Smith and Clements
(Fourth Game)
Lesley (27-10) 000 110 0 – 2 8 1
UM-Farmington 200 010 x – 3 9 1
Burnett and Fralick; DeFilipp and Barnes
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