FORT MYERS, Fla. – Freshman Sarah Cusack laced a line-drive up the middle of the field to drive in the game-winning run as the University of Southern Maine Huskies rallied from a one-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the SUNY-Potsdam Bears 7-6 Tuesday morning at the Gene Cusic Classic at the Lee County Sports Complex.

The Huskies dropped to their first game of the day 7-6 to the Otterbein College Cardinals.

With the split, Southern Maine concludes its Florida trip with a 5-5 record.

Otterbein College improved to 4-5 with the win, while the Bears fell to 3-5 with the loss.

Southern Maine jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings of play.

The Huskies used a two-run single from freshman Sarah Stuart in the first inning and a three-run triple down the right field line from freshman Heather Gilman to take command early.

Colby splits

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Colby College softball team moved to 5-0 with a 13-1 win over Potsdam State and then lost for the first time this season with a tough 6-5 defeat to Otterbein College in eight innings in non-conference softball on Tuesday.

The White Mules (5-1) have an off day Wednesday before playing a doubleheader on Thursday at 9 a.m. against Middlebury College.

Colby scored 13 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to turn a 1-0 deficit into a rout and end the game after five innings with the 10-run rule. Alex Essman went 4-for-4 with a double and a triple, while Sarah Whitfield had a double among her two hits. Alaina Clark and Alyssa Lepore each went 2-for-2 for the Mules.

Brittany Tasi pitched the first four innings for the Colby victory.

Otterbein scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and added the game-winning run in the eighth to pull out the win against Colby. The Mules made the most of their three hits in the game by scoring five runs.