ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Maine softball team closed out the 2006 Rebel Spring Games on Wednesday by sweeping a pair of games against Lafayette and Cleveland State by identical 2-1 scores.
In the day’s first game, the Black Bears (15-7) spotted Lafayette a 1-0 lead after two innings. Maine responded with a game-tying run in the third frame.
Tara Vilardo led off the inning with a base hit, advanced to second on a sacrifice fly, stole third then scored on a throwing error by the Lafayette catcher.
The Black Bears took command two innings later when second baseman Ashley Waters stroked a two-out triple into right-center field to start the rally.
Brittany Cheney followed and delivered the game-winning RBI single to bring Waters home. Both Waters and Cheney went 2-for-3 in the contest.
The afternoon’s second contest was a mirror image of the first, as the Black Bears allowed Cleveland State to post a 1-0 lead after three innings. Again, Maine responded to push a run across in the fourth to tie it at 1-1.
Cheney led off the frame with a single and advanced to third two batters later. Pownal’s Sarah Bennis, who started on the mound for Maine, helped her cause by driving in Cheney with an RBI single.
Cheney was again the catalyst for Maine in the sixth as it went on top for good at 2-1.
She led off with another base hit and came around to score when Courtney Gingrich blasted an RBI double to left field.
The Black Bears will return to action this weekend when they take part in the Speedline Invitational at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Men’s lacrosse
Bates 19, Mt. Ida 4
LEWISTON – The Bates College men’s lacrosse team jumped out to a 7-0 lead after seven minutes and cruised to a 19-4 victory over Mt. Ida Wednesday evening at Campus Avenue Field.
The Bobcats (4-0) scored the game’s first 14 goals before the Mustangs (0-1) got on the board with John Lightbown’s unassisted goal with 10:06 remaining in the third quarter. Bates sophomore Mike Medieros led the attack with five points on two goals and three assists. Matt Erisman added four points with a goal and three assists. Wes Couture, first-year Sean O’Brien and John Kinanne added two goals apiece.
Lightbrown and Matt Ramieor scored two goals each for the Mustangs. Kyle Bowler made nine saves in net for Mt. Ida. Paul Kazarian, Will Paddock, Peter Boston and Tom O’Connor all made saves for Bates. Kazarian tallied five of the Bobcats’ 12 total saves.
Cazenovia 9, UNE 8
ORLANDO, Fla. – Alex Cost scored the deciding goal 2:29 into sudden-death overtime to give Cazenovia College a 9-8 victory over the University of New England in men’s lacrosse action from the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
The match was the season-opener for the Wildcats, while the Nor’easters record stands at 1-1. Cazenovia took control early, outscoring the Nor’easters 4-1 in the first period on its way to a 6-4 halftime advantage. UNE rallied to double up the Wildcats in the third and fourth periods to even the score at 8-all and force overtime.
Women’s lacrosse
Bates 18, USM 4
LEWISTON – Sophomores Molly Wagner and Rachel Harmeling scored three goals and had one assist apiece to spark Bates to an easy 18-4 women’s lacrosse victory over Southern Maine.
Caroline Thomas, Danielle Cormier, Rachel Greenwood and Katie Unger scored two goals each for the Bobcats (2-0).
Emily Barrett scored twice for USM (0-2), while junior Sarah Trent and junior Ashley Dyer had one apiece.
UNE 15, Castleton State 6
BIDDEFORD – Sam Robinson had a career-high four goals, and the University of New England scored 11 consecutive times during the first half on its way to a 15-6 non-conference victory over Castleton State College on a frigid Wednesday afternoon.
The win was the second straight for the Nor’easters (2-1), and the match was the season-opener for the Spartans.
Castleton State got on the board first when Kate Coniglio converted a pass from Nicole Bouchard 1:53 into the match.
From there the Nor’easters seized control, going on a 11-goal barrage over a 23-minute span. Ashley MacDonald tallied three goals during that stretch, while Robinson, Megan Trusselle and Brittany Stratton had two apiece.
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