The University of Maine softball team split a Saturday doubleheader with visiting Stony Brook on Seniors Weekend in Orono and failed to qualify for the America East Tournament.
UMaine won Saturday’s opener 7-3, but Stony Brook’s Melissa Rahrich tossed a two-hit shutout in the nightcap as her team posted a 5-0 victory.
UMaine concluded the season with a 4-13 league record, 12-29 overall. The Black Bears finished last in the seven-team conference.
The Black Bears had been picked to finish second in the preseason coaches poll.
Stony Brook is now 11-7 and 29-17.
On Saturday, three of UMaine’s four seniors led the way in the opener.
Third baseman Alyssa Derrick went 3-for-3 with a homer and three runs batted in; center fielder Laurine German singled twice and scored a run and catcher Maddie Decker belted a solo homer to back the six-hit pitching of sophomore Kyleigh O’Donnell.
O’Donnell struck out seven and walked six.
Sophomore Amanda Nee had two hits for UMaine, including a double, and she drove in a run.
Freshman Kelby Drews walloped a solo homer.
Irene Rivera had a two-run homer for Stony Brook and Rahrich and Cately Corr each had a double and a single. Rahrich drove in a run.
Rahrich’s RBI double gave Stony Brook to a 1-0 lead but Derrick answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.
Rivera and Derrick swapped two-run homers in the third before Drews gave UMaine the lead for good with her fourth-inning homer.
Decker homered in the sixth and two more runs scored on bases-loaded walks to Nee and Maddie Kimble.
In the nightcap, Rahrich, the league’s Player of the Year last season, struck out seven and walked one to pick up her 16th win against 11 losses.
She also blasted her league-leading 17th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the third inning, to provide herself with the only runs she was to need. Rahrich also had a single.
Riley Craig had a pair of doubles and Alina Lance drove in two runs with a single and a groundout. Taylor Pechin had a pair of singles and an RBI.
Keely Clark’s double and Decker’s single were UMaine’s only hits.