The University of Maine’s softball team was ousted by Albany from the America East Tournament at the Pierre and Catherine Labat Softball Complex on the UMaine campus in Orono on Thursday afternoon and it was a Maine native who dismissed the Black Bears.
Albany freshman Julia Pike from Kennebunk tossed a two-hit gem, retiring 18 of the last 19 hitters she faced, and conference Rookie of the Year Katie Parisi had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the third-seeded Great Danes to a 3-1 triumph over the Black Bears.
It was Albany’s 17th consecutive win over UMaine and 24th in the last 25 meetings.
Third seed Albany, 1-1 in the five-team, double-elimination tournament and 25-19 overall, met top seed Bryant (0-1, 20-22) in an elimination game right after the UMaine game.
Fifth seed UMaine concluded the season at 12-36 after losing its eighth straight contest.
It is the first time since 2022 that the Black Bears didn’t win at least one tournament game.
They were 5-6 in the previous three tourneys.
UMaine had lost to second seed Binghamton 12-5 on Wednesday.
Pike struck out five and walked one while improving her record to 10-4. She threw 102 pitches.
UMaine took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Keira Inman drew a two-out walk, moved to second when Eviana Robles reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on sophomore Francesca Guerra’s single to center field.
Robles was thrown out at third on the play by center fielder Ava Beal.
Robles’ one-out single in the fourth inning was the only other hit for the Black Bears.
Albany tied it in the bottom of the first on Taylor Quinn’s double and singles by Sara Anderson and Mary Kate Murray (RBI).
The Great Danes scored what proved to be the winning run in the second on Kasey Conn’s lead-off double and Parisi’s two-out base hit.
Albany added an insurance run in the sixth on Anderson’s lead-off single followed by Parisi’s RBI double to center.
Freshman Hannah Hipwell came on in relief of starter Ava Zettlemoyer and retired the side without any further damage.
Parisi had two singles to go with her double and Deanna Grahek also had a double and two singles. Anderson had two singles.
Senior Zettlemoyer, now 3-10, tossed five innings of three-run ball, allowing 11 hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
