College Softball
MAINE vs. ALBANY
Time, site: Friday (2), noon; Saturday, 11 a.m.; Kessock Field, Orono
Records: UMaine 16-21 (10-4 America East); Albany 21-15 (6-7)
Last meeting: UMaine 14-1 (5 inns.) on 5/14/16
Key players: Maine — CF Rachel Carlson (.368-0 home runs-10 runs batted in, 12 stolen bases), C Rachel Harvey (.319-2-20), RF Meghan Royle (.296-3-16), 3B Alyssa Derrick (.266-12-29), LF Erika Leonard (.243-3-20); Albany — SS Elizabeth Snow (.423-11-40), DH Chelsea Henige (.353-1-28), CF Aliyah Wade (.315-5-44, 22 SB), RF Donna Conrad (.314-3-26), LF Sarah Petzold (.286-3-17), 3B McKenzie Bump (.274-4-16)
Pitching matchups: UMaine — Erin Bogdanovich (5-9, 4.63 earned run average), Molly Flowers (6-8, 4.71), Annie Kennedy (5-3, 4.05); Albany — Devin Durando (5-3, 3.76), Celeste Verdolivo (6-7, 3.84), Bailey Turner (7-5, 3.92)
Game notes: The Friday doubleheader was moved up to noon due to pending inclement weather. The Black Bears are looking to rebound after getting thumped three times by Binghamton last weekend. The Bearcats outscored UMaine 21-5 to wrest first place from the defending conference tournament champion Black Bears. UMaine is virtually assured a second-place finish behind Binghamton and that means a valuable first-round bye for the Black Bears at the conference tournament May 10-13 in Vestal, New York. Bogdanovich and Flowers both struggled at Binghamton so it is important for them to turn in a solid outing to take into the tourney. UMaine beat the Great Danes twice in the tourney last season, including 14-1 in five innings in the title game. UMaine will honor six seniors before Friday’s opener: Bogdanovich, Harvey, SS Felicia Lennon, RF Chloe Douglass, P Nikki Misner and 1B Maddie Moore.