By Sun Journal staff

BRADENTON, Fla. – Aaron Izaryk had three hits to lead the University of Maine to a 6-3 win over Lehigh in college baseball action Friday afternoon.

The Black Bears (5-6) scored three times in the first inning with Joe Hough, Greg Creek and Ryan Quintal crossing the plate to set the tone. Maine added a run in the top of the third when Izaryk doubled to plate Creek, who had walked and stolen second.

Lehigh (3-4) cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Maine answered with a single run in the top of the eighth from Curt Smith. Lehigh added a run in the bottom of the frame, but that was as close as they would get.

Softball

St. Joe’s drops pair

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Ursinus pitcher Mallory Greene recorded nine strike outs to lift the Bears to a 16-0 victory in Game 1, and Eastern Nazarene rallied to overcome a St. Joe’s lead in Game 2 for a 9-8 win as the Monks dropped a pair in softball action Friday.

The Bears (7-2) kept the bases clear for most of the opener as the Monks (5-3) managed only three hits. Darcy Lee ripped a triple, while senior Helene Liaci and senior Allyson Ferguson of Sabattus managed singles.

The Monks held a commanding 8-2 lead after six innings in the nightcap. Liaci notched a home run and a single, and Lee went 3-for-4 with three singles.

With only one frame remaining, the Crusaders (2-2) turned a combination of base hits and Monk errors into a seven-run rally for a come-from-behind victory.

Women’s basketball

Bowdoin 63, William Smith 51

SCRANTON, Penn. – Junior forward Justine Pouravelis scored 14 points and hauled down eight rebounds in a balanced attack as Bowdoin advanced to the Elite Eight with a 63-51 win over William Smith in women’s basketball action Friday.

Freshman Marisa Berne came off the bench to contribute nine points for the Polar Bears (26-2).

Sophomore forward Eileen Flaherty and sophomore guard Julia Loonin had eight points and six rebounds apiece as Bowdoin advanced to a sectional championship for the fourth straight year.

Pouravelis tallied seven points and Berne popped off a pair of 3-pointers to build a 17-point lead for Bowdoin at the 4:42 mark of the first half, before Pria Young sparked a 9-0 run as the Herons (20-8) cut the lead to eight, 31-23, by intermission.

The Herons were within striking distance, trailing by eight with 13:52 left, before Bowdoin went on a 13-5 spurt to extend its lead to 16, with less than nine minutes remaining. The Polar Bears maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.