BIDDEFORD, Maine - Sophomore Gabrielle LaRoche (Deerfield, N.H.) singled up the middle to score junior Amanda Vaudreuil (Windham, N.H.) from second base to seal a 4-3, 8-inning win over Curry College in game two of a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball doubleheader played Saturday afternoon (Apr. 6) at Claude Dubois Field. The Nor'easters also took the opener in five innings by a score of 12-4.
 
The Nor'easters (11-7, 5-3 CCC) have now taken the last five meetings against the Colonels, who fall back to 11-9 overall (4-4 CCC).
 
Things were tied 2-2 through three innings of game two, and remained that way at the end of regulation. In the top of the 8th, Curry took advantage of a two-out infield error by UNE to move ahead on the scoreboard (3-2) -- its first lead of the day.
 
But UNE answered quickly in the bottom of the frame, as Vaudreuil drove a single up the middle to send first-year Amanda Vallante (Dracut, Mass.) around to score from being placed on second. After a pop out to the pitcher, LaRoche came through with the game-winning hit.
 
Vaudreuil and Vallante went for three and two hits, respectively. Seniors Megan Gauger (South Paris, Maine) and Erin Grover (Biddeford, Maine) each had a hit and run scored in support for UNE, while first-year pitcher Abby Lambert (Brockton, Mass.) struck out five against one walk and six hits as she improved to 4-3.
 
The Nor'easters went up 2-0 in the 2nd when Grover tripled to right-center, scoring Gauger. Lambert helped herself out on the next play with an RBI-ground out.
 
Curry responded in the top of the 3rd with a pair of runs. With two down, junior Heather Carrier (Scarborough, Maine) singled to left, and sophomore Ariel LaRosa (Saugus, Mass.) followed with a double to left-center. LaRosa scored on the play as well, as an attempt to keep her at second skipped off into the outfield.
 
Junior Megan Flaherty (Medway, Mass.) had two hits for the Colonels. Sophomore Taylor Ahearn (Salem, Mass.) took the loss (5-4) in the circle, despite fanning seven.
 
In game one, UNE scored early to gain control of the contest, plating seven runs in the 2nd and five more in the 3rd to build a 12-1 cushion.
 
Junior Allie Frazier (Tewksbury, Mass.) connected for three hits to lead the attack, and Grover added two more. Sophomore Adrienne Chase (Holden, Mass.) had three runs batted in, while Vaudreuil and LaRoche each knocked in a pair. Frazier, first-year Jess Lemos (Chelmsford, Mass.), Vaudreuil, and senior Casey Brigham (New London, Conn.) came around to plate two runs apiece.
 
A two-out single up the middle by LaRoche in the 2nd capped UNE's scoring in the stanza. The Nor'easters did more damage in the last half of the 3rd, behind a two-RBI single to center by Vaudreuil and a two-RBI triple down the line in right by Chase.
 
Curry scored with an RBI-single from LaRosa in the 3rd, an RBI-single by sophomore Abby Macomber (Milton, Mass.), a sacrifice fly from Carrier in the 4th, and an RBI-single by junior Kaitlyn Maderios (East Bridgewater, Mass.) in the 5th.
 
The Colonels threatened to extend the game a bit longer in the 5th, with two hits to load the bases with just one out. However, UNE preserved the eight-run lead by getting a force-out at home plate, and then a line-out to left field.
 
First-year Lauren Doneski (Waltham, Mass.) improved her personal mark to 5-1 with the 5-inning win, while registering two strike outs.
 
For Curry, junior Jennifer Lundstrom (Rehoboth, Mass.) was tagged with the loss (4-4) in just two innings of work. First-year Melissa Donaghue (Malden, Mass.) finshed off the last-two innings against the Nor'easter lineup.
 
Both squads are back in action on Sunday. UNE heads to Endicott College for a CCC twinbill, while the Colonels return home to face Salve Regina in a league doubleheader.