ORONO, Maine -- Boston University and University of Maine, the top two seeds for the 2010 America East Softball Championship, each posted wins on the first day of the tournament Thursday afternoon at Kessock Field and will meet with a trip to the championship game on the line Friday at 11 a.m.
The Terriers (32-19) blanked fourth-seeded University at Albany (20-22), 2-0, behind a one-hit shutout from senior hurler Cassidi Hardy, while the Black Bears (23-26) got three hits from senior second baseman Alexis Soulharis and used a five-run third to down third-seeded Stony Brook University (29-20-1), 5-1. The Great Danes and Seawolves will meet in an elimination game on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
In game one, Boston U., the top seed and regular-season champion, did all of its scoring in the fourth. Senior third baseman Rachel Moeller, a second-team all-league choice, led off with a walk and junior catcher Caitlin Rentler singled to the right side with one out. All-rookie selection Taylor Cowan broke the scoreless tie with a single through the right side, which plated Moeller, and senior Rachel Hebert, also a second-team all-conference honoree, ripped a two-out single to left to bring home Rentler.
The two runs were more than enough for Hardy, who yesterday was named the league's Pitcher of the Year. She allowed a lone infield hit in the fifth, walked only one and struck out 12. A right-hander, Hardy has thrown 28 consecutive scoreless innings.
In game two, Stony Brook started the scoring in the top half of the second. Senior Crista Cerrone lined a double to left and scored on a two-out single by senior Katelyn O'Donnell.
Maine, the No. 2 seed, responded with all five of their runs in the home half of the third. After sophomore Brynne Davis lined out to start the inning, the next six Black Bears that came to the plate reached base. Soulharis, a first-team all-league choice, singled, stole second and scored on senior Whitney Spangler's double to left-center field. Senior Terren Hall, a first-team all-league third baseman, followed with a double in the exact same spot and came around to score on senior Kristen Calvetti's second home run of the season. The Black Bears added one more in the frame on sophomore Margaret Hilton's RBI single up the middle and led 5-1 after three.
Senior Cayleigh Montano, who was making just her sixth start of the season on the mound, allowed just the one run on six hits over five innings to pick up her fourth win of the season. Freshman Elizabeth Spoehr closed it out with two perfect innings of relief work.
The winner of the Boston University-Maine matchup will advance to Saturday's championship game, which will be played at 12 p.m. The loser of that game will face the winner of the Albany-Stony Brook contest at 4 p.m. Friday for the right to play Saturday.