Univ. of New England 12, Bates 9 (8 innings)
Lafayette St. Field
at Lewiston, Maine

SOFTBALL DROPS SEASON OPENER TO UNE, 12-9, IN EXTRA INNINGS

LEWISTON, Maine -- The University of New England Nor'Easters (2-1) overcame a three- and four-run deficit to spoil the head coaching debut of Bates College (0-1) coach Gwen Lexow, 12-9, in eight innings.

After giving up a run in the top of the second inning, the Bobcats jumped on UNE for five runs in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of three Nor'Easter errors in the frame. UNE rallied to tie the game, 5-5, in the top of the third inning, but Bates answered once again. Sophomore Laura Lent (Clinton, Mass.) and senior Abbey DeRocker (Queensbury, N.Y.) hit back-to-back two-run doubles as Bates extended the lead to 9-5. UNE answered again, using a three-run home run in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 9-8.

The score stayed that way until the top of the sixth, when the Nor'Easters tied the game when senior second baseman Emily Morningstar (West Newton, Mass.) made a fine stop on a ball up the middle, but was unable to throw the runner out at first, while a runner on second came around to score. Both teams left runners on base in the sixth and seventh inning before UNE struck again, as six of the first seven batters reached base, with three scoring, as senior pitcher Becki Gasior (Park Ridge, N.J.) appeared to tire in the Bobcats' first game of the season.

Bates was led by Lent, who went 3-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, and DeRocker, who was 3-5 with two doubles and four RBI. Gasior pitched eight innings, striking out four, in the losing effort.

UNE 12, Bates 9 (8 inn.)

                1 2 3   4 5 6   7 8       R   H   E
UNE (2-1)       0 1 4   3 0 1   0 3   -  12  12   6
Bates (0-1)     0 5 4   0 0 0   0 0   -   9  14   3

Batting
LOB - B, 11. UNE, 5.
2B - B, Laura Lent 2, Abbey DeRocker 2. UNE, Michele Plant, Melissa
Malone, Amanda Stevens, Janet Lamy.
HR - UNE, Plant (1)
SB - B, Katy Marshall 3, Shannon Browher. UNE, Jenn Wood.
SF - B, Emily Morningstar.
SH - B, Whitney Hamill. UNE, Melissa Malone.
HBP - UNE, Janet Lamy, Laureen Lafond.
IBB - B, Marshall. 

Pitching
B: Becki Gasior (0-1) and Kim Bosse.
UNE: Erin Murphy (1-1) and Lisa Wells.

Fielding
PB - B, Bosse 2. UNE, Wells 3.
E - B, Gasior, Browher, Bosse. UNE, Lamy 3, Elaine Keene 2, Jenn Wood.