PRESQUE ISLE, Maine - Sophomore Christa Allen hit a pair of three-run home runs on Wednesday afternoon to help lead the University of Maine at Farmington softball team to a doubleheader split against the University of Maine at Presque Isle in a pair of non-conference contests.

Game One

The game was scoreless into the bottom of the 3rd when the Owls pushed a run across to take a 1-0 lead. Emma McNally led off the inning with an infield single and moved over to 2nd on a pop up in foul ground that was caught by Beaver catcher, Bella Miller (Lewiston, Maine). McNally then moved over to 3rd on a fly out to right field and came into score on an RBI double from Zoe Stewart.

The Beavers threatened to score in the top of the 4th, getting back-to-back two-out singles by Chelsea Davis (New Gloucester, Maine) and Mackenzie Dyer (Hancock, Maine. Both were stranded to end the inning.

The Beavers were able to get on the board in the 5th inning, pushing across four runs to open up a three-run lead. Miller hit a ball to left field that was misplayed with one out to start the Beavers rally. Kiley Merritt (Lisbon Falls, Maine) followed with a single to center that gave the Beavers runners on the corners. Maddie Pike (Kennebunk, Maine) looped one to right field on the 1st pitch she saw to drive in Miller and knot the game up at one. Allen then came to the plate and crushed a home run to dead center field to give the Beavers a 4-1 lead.

The Owls stranded runners on base in each of the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings as Beavers pitcher Carleigh Schievink (Charlestown, Mass.) worked out of trouble to maintain the lead for Farmington. Schievink stranded runners in scoring position in the 5th and the 7th innings. She pitched all seven innings, giving up just one run on seven hits. 

Davis went 2-3, while Allen delivered the big blow to lead the Beavers to the game one victory.

Game Two

The Owls scored nine runs in the first two innings of game two to jump out to a big lead early. Olivia Gray and Myah Bragdon each picked up RBI singles in the 1st inning while Gracelyn Walsh picked up an RBI on a walk. 

In the 2nd inning, things began to unravel a little bit on the Beavers. The Owls put up six runs in the inning on four hits, three walks, and a pair of errors to open up a 9-0 lead. Zoe Alyward-Frank, Dalaney Anfinson, Walsh, Karis Dankert, and McNally each picked up RBIs in the inning for the Owls.

The Beavers got on the board in the top of the 3rd on the 2nd three-run home run of the day off the bat of Allen. Similar to the 1st home run, the 2nd was also a rocket to straight away center field to make it a 9-3 game. Merritt singled and Pike was hit by a pitch in front of the Allen home run. 

Presque Isle tagged on another run in the bottom of the 3rd inning on an RBI ground out from Hailey Saylor. 

In the top of the 4th the Beavers had the first two batters of the inning reach as Davis singled and Isabella LaFrance (Union, Maine) was hit by a pitch. Davis and LaFrance moved over to 2nd and 3rd but were stranded there to end the threat. 

In the top of the 5th the Beavers once again had the first two batters of the inning aboard but were unable to score. A great defensive play from McNally at left kept Farmington off the scoreboard in the inning as she cut down Merritt trying to score on a fly out from Allen.

The game came to and end in the bottom of the 6th inning as the Owls extended their lead to eight as Saylor led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a single to right center from Walsh. 

Merritt was a perfect 3-3 at the plate and scored a run while Allen was 2-3 with three RBIs to lead the offense for the Beavers. In the circle, Brianna Benson (Woodstock, Maine) picked up the loss, going the first two innings of the game, giving up eight earned on seven hits, five walks, and striking out three. 

All nine hitters in the lineup for the Owls recorded a hit. Anfinson finished 3-4 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Walsh was 2-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Saylor picked up the win in the circle, pitching all six inning giving up three runs on six hits while striking out five.