Mustangs Split with National Champs, Beat SMCC 2-0

Auburn, ME – CMCC Softball picked up its first win of the fall season after splitting a doubleheader with archrival and reigning USCAA national champions Southern Maine. The 2-0 win in game two of the morning series was part of Central Maine's Open House & Homecoming Weekend event. Melody Rousselle pitched a shutout in the circle and Brook Norman hit a two-RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to take the win.

The day started early with some unfinished business. The two teams picked up a protested game from the doubleheader played in South Portland on September 17^th. That game went to extra innings and was tied 5-5 in the top of the eighth when a situation was protested by the SMCC coaching staff, regarding a player being mislabeled on the lineup card. The umpire ruled that would mean the runner, who had advanced to third base with one out, was ruled out, leading the Seawolves to pick up a 6-5 victory in the bottom half of the inning. The ruling was appealed and CMCC won the protest, leading to the game being picked up where it left off with one out and a runner on third.

However, it did not change the outcome of the game. Rousselle grounded out to third and McKenna Ridlon grounded out to second base. In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Taylor Swift laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner starting on second over to third. Mackenzie McAvoy then drove in the winning run with a single into centerfield.

Game One: 8-6 L

After finishing up that bit of business, game one of the doubleheader started about seven minutes later. CMCC got off to a great start in the bottom of the first. Catcher Olivia Rioux hit a two-run home run that cruised down the left field line and just cleared the fence, hitting the base of the foul pole. That drove in Alivia Field to make it 2-0 Mustangs.

Rioux delivered again on her next trip to the plate in the bottom of the third. The freshman from Minot, ME cranked a fastball to dead center that bounced off the wall, once again bringing Field around to score. Her double gave her three RBIs to start the day and prompted a pitching change by SMCC. Two batters later, Hailey Turcotte hit a one-out sac-fly off McAvoy that brought Rioux across the plate for a 4-0 lead.

The reigning champs finally got to starting pitcher Rousselle in the top of the fifth. McAvoy lined a single into left field to pull one run back. Ella Voth singled into right to plate Ariana Cross. Scarlett Proc hit a ground ball to second that looked like it might be an inning-ending double play. Instead, she beat the throw to first, and shortstop Norman was ruled to have not stepped on second base, making it 4-3 with the bases loaded.

That would prove costly. Hayley Cowan lined out to short, but Myranda Caddy then blooped a pop-up that dropped between the pitcher, first, and second. All three started after the ball, leaving nobody at first for the throw to get the last out. That allowed to runs to score and gave the visitors the lead for the first time. Carly Youngblood then launched the very next pitch to the right field fence with a two-RBI triple to make it 7-4.

The hosts did put two runs across the plate in the bottom of the fifth to pull within one. Norman drew a bases loaded walk to score Rousselle followed by a sac-fly by Ava Brasslett to score Payton Newson. However, in the top of the sixth, Cross led off with a solo home run to make it 8-6 SMCC.

The Mustangs got two runners on in the bottom of the sixth but ran out of gas. Ava Dionne then retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win.

Game Two: 2-0 W

After so many runs scored in game one, game two flipped the script to be a tight, defensive affair. Rousselle once again got the starting nod for Central Maine, pulling double duty, while Cassidy Dunham was given the ball for Southern Maine.

In the top of the second, Cross led off with a single and reached second base on an error handling McAvoy's ground ball. The Mustangs recovered to end the threat when Jayden Tripp grounded into a double play. The Mustangs meanwhile had a base runner in each of the first five innings but could not advance anyone past second base.

The breakthrough finally came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Isabella Lyons hit a one-out single with a lined shot into right field. With two outs, pinch runner Turcotte took second and third on wild pitches in between a Brianna Arsenault walk. Norman then drove the ball to center field. Caddy ranged over and attempted to make a diving catch, but the ball bounced off her glove allowing two runs to score.

Rousselle put the Seawolves down in order in the top of the seventh to secure her first collegiate win in impressive fashion with a complete-game shutout of the defending national champs. The Kennebunk High School product finished with three hits allowed and one strikeout, giving her six Ks total on the day.

The Mustangs get right back into it on Sunday with another doubleheader, this time against the Community College of Rhode Island Knights, the team's first non-conference opponent.