College softball

MAINE vs. MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY

Time, site: Saturday (2), noon; Sunday, 11 a.m.; Kessock Field, Orono

Records: Maine 11-36 (10-8 America East); UMBC 21-27 (9-9)

Last meeting: Maine 7-6 on 4/1/07

Top hitters – UMBC: 1B-P Amanda Fefel (.340, 6 HRs, 29 RBIs), 1B-P Ashley Gray (.338, 8 HRs, 39 RBIs), SS Dana Shepherd (.292, 8 HRs, 26 RBIs, 9 SBs), C-OF Kali Shirk (.290, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, 19 SBs), 2B Lauren Brummel (.256, 1 HR, 16 RBIs); Maine: 2B Ashley Waters (.350, 10 HRs, 30 RBIs, 5 SBs), C-CH Whitney Spangler (.297, 2 HRs, 22 RBIs, 6 SBs), CF-P Alexis Souhlaris (.296, 8 HRs, 17 RBIs, 12 SBs), SS Kristen Calvetti (.296, 3 HRs, 21 RBIs), 3B Terren Hall (.267, 8 HRs, 29 RBIs)

Pitching Matchups

UMBC Retrievers Maine Black Bears

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

RH Stephanie Weigman 2.65 12-13 129 RH Jenna Balent 3.79 7-13 77

RH Amanda Fefel 3.79 4-5 65 RH Alexis Souhlaris 4.68 2-10 29

RH Ashley Gray 3.80 5-9 74 RH Cayleigh Montano 4.85 2-6 34

Outlook: The conference schedule couldn’t end more dramatically for America East as the winner of this series secures the fourth and final playoff spot. The Black Bears must combine solid pitching with timely hitting as the Retrievers feature a solid ace in Weigman and some big bats in Fefel, Gray and Shepherd. The Retrievers are batting .254 as a team, but opponents are only batting .255. Maine is batting .248 to opponents’ .326.