Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Thomas falls at home

By Matt DiFilippo mdifilippo@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- Against the undisputed No. 1 softball team in the North Atlantic Conference, Thomas College often looked very competitive. The problem for the Terriers is that their one big weakness plays into Husson University's biggest strength.

Thomas is prone to bad innings, while Husson loves to take an extra base to force a mistake and then take another base or two after the mistake is made.

The Eagles forced enough mistakes Friday afternoon to defeat Thomas 12-2 in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader.

In the second game, Husson led 5-4 after four innings when the game was called due to the field conditions. The game must be made up -- and will start from the first inning instead of being resumed -- if the result has a bearing on the NAC final standings. Thomas already has doubleheaders scheduled for today and Sunday, and the Husson make-up game must be played by Sunday evening.

Husson led just 2-1 in the first game before scoring four times in the top of the fourth inning. The key hit was a two-run double by Aimee Mortensen, who later scored from second on a passed ball.

Thomas got within 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Kaymala Eells singled home Mallorie Blakney, but the Eagles scored six more runs in the seventh, helped by two Thomas errors.

"There's time that we show that we can play pretty good softball," Thomas coach Terry Parlin said, "and there's other times that shows that we're still quite immature. No one's going to beat a team like this giving them extra outs."

Husson (22-13, 13-0 NAC) continued to force the issue, to the point where Mortensen stole third with two outs in the top of the seventh and the Eagles leading by 10 runs.

"We're always pretty aggressive on the bases," Husson coach Amanda Davey said. "One through nine in the lineup, we all have speed. We've scored a ton of runs just taking extra bases."

With the rain starting to fall, Thomas (13-16, 4-5) played superb defense in the first two innings of the second game.

In the first inning, Blakney threw Courtney Hill out at third from center field for an inning-ending double play. In the second inning, with Megan Richard on third and one out, Thomas pitcher Sara Pavento induced a comebacker from Brianna Webster. Pavento made the play perfectly, looking Richard back long enough to still get the out at first and give first baseman Eells enough time to double up Richard at the plate.

Unfortunately for the Terriers, that defense didn't continue into the third inning, when Thomas had five misplays. Instead of the inning ending with no runs, Husson scored five times before the first out.

After a half-hour rain delay, Thomas catcher Sammy Moore hit a bases-clearing triple and scored on a wild pitch to get the Terriers within 5-4. Although the game didn't count, Parlin thought the inning was important nonetheless. The Terriers, who are missing starters Anika Powers and Sarah Estes due to injuries and start five freshmen, face Lyndon State and Johnson State in doubleheaders this weekend as they fight for a playoff spot.

"I think that really gave us a little bit of momentum going into the weekend, knowing that we pretty much have to take four games from Lyndon and Johnson," Parlin said. "I think without that, it would have been a little harder going into the weekend."

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com