GORHAM, Maine – Junior Erin Miller (Waterford) and freshman Samantha Valentine (Ridge, NY) each earned shutout victories in the circle to lead Eastern Connecticut State University  to a sweep of the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Towers Field.   Miller (10-4) won, 11-0, in five-innings in the opening game for her fourth shutout, while Valentine (7-2) picked up the 3-0 win in the second game for her third shutout.

By winning 18 of its final 20 regular-season games, Eastern (25-11, 11-3 Little East) becomes the first team in Little East history to win outright or share as many as five straight LEC regular-season championships, having won outright all five seasons. The Warriors finish in a tie for first place with Plymouth State University but gain the tournament's No. 1 seed by virtue of tie-breakers.  Eastern has compiled a 62-8 record in its five straight championships and won post-season titles from 2010 through 2012.

The Warriors will host the six-team double-elimination tournament Thursday-Saturday at the Eastern Softball Stadium and open play in the first of three games on the first day. Times have not been announced.

Southern Maine (14-21, 2-10 Little East) concludes its season with five straight losses  and with its 13^th and 14^th consecutive losses to Eastern.

Miller pitched a three-hitter in the opener for her ninth straight win since a 1-4 start, striking out four without a walk, and came on to get Valentine out of a seventh-inning jam in the nightcap for her third save.  Sophomore Alicia White (Colchester) drove in three runs with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the first inning of the opener,  and freshman Samantha Bardos (Norwalk) added two RBI.

Eastern managed only seven hits in the opener but was issued 11 walks and also benefited from four wild pitches.

In the second game, Valentine scattered four hits and three walks over 6 2/3  innings. Miller left the bases loaded by getting the final out of the game. Southern Maine senior Stefanie Stockwell allowed only one earned run, limiting  the Warriors to hits by Hancock and junior Shannon Martin (Wethersfield) and walked only two.

The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the second game.  Sophomore Alyssa Hancock (Waterford) led off  the game with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before senior Mattie Brett (Waterford) drove her in with a sacrifice fly.  Eastern plated the final two runs of the game in the top of the third, taking advantage of a Huskies' fielding error to score two unearned runs on well-executive sacrifice bunts from Brett and junior Sam Rossetti (Shelton).

The Huskies threatened with a two-out rally in the top of the seventh on two walks and a single,

But Miller closed out the game by inducing an outfield fly ball.

Senior Stephanie Johnson (Plantsville) had a 12-game hitting streak ended in the opener when she went 0-for-2.

Joining Eastern and Plymouth State in the tournament are Western Connecticut, Keene State College, UMass Dartmouth and Rhode Island College. Final seeds will be announced after Keene State hostsUMass Dartmouth Monday in a makeup doubleheader