CLEARWATER, Florida — Felicia Lennon cranked a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the University of Maine softball team a 7-6 victory over Long Island University Saturday and its second win of the day.
Righthander Molly Flowers pitched a three-hit shutout to give the Black Bears a 5-0 win over Rutgers in its first game Saturday, and she came back to pitch two strong innings of relief to help the Bears beat Long Island.
In the second game, the Black Bears tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth when Meghan Royle slammed a double to left to plate Lennon, who had walked and advanced to second on a Kristen Niland sacrifice.
In the bottom of the seventh, Maine’s Maddie Decker reached on a one-out infield error and Chole Douglass came on to pinch run before scoring on Lennon’s home run.
Flowers (4-4) pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out three to help the Black Bears improve to 8-9.
Alyssa Derrick hit a three-home run to left field in the first inning to spark the Black Bears. Royle finished with three hits and Janelle Bouchard chipped in with a double and single.
Evie Claussell doubled, singled and drove in two runs to lead Long Island (11-17). Kyle Mulholland and Ariana Lopez each added two hits, with Mulholland driving in a run.
In the first game, Flowers stuck out 13 to help the Bears earn the victory.
Decker hit a two-run double in the third inning and an RBI single in the fifth to pace the Black Bears. Derrick added a solo homer in the sixth while Rachel Carlson and Royle each contributed two hits.
Nicolette Anico singled twice for Rutgers (13-15), which couldn’t capitalize on six walks by Flowers.
On Sunday, Maine was beaten by Florida A&M 5-3 in its last game of its spring trip. The Black Bears are now 8-10 and return to action on Friday for a three-game series against Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn.