PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State University softball team rallied late in both games of a Little East Conference doubleheader to earn a sweep over Eastern Connecticut State University Saturday at D&M Park.

Senior Abrie Davis ripped a booming double to right-center field as Plymouth (19-11, 7-1 LEC) won Game 1 in walk-off fashion, 2-1. In Game 2, Eastern (12-17, 6-4 LEC) used a three-run top of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead, but Plymouth scored twice in the bottom of the inning for a 4-3 win.

Squandering an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the conference, Eastern instead falls into a three-way tie for second place with UMass Dartmouth and the University of Southern Maine. First-place Plymouth opens up a two-game lead.

GAME ONE

Starting pitchers Morgan Bolduk (Vernon) of Eastern and Caitlyn Miller traded scoreless innings until the Warriors struck in the top of the fourth. Bolduk helped her own cause with a leadoff single, then scored from first on a long double by sophomore Sabrina LeMere (North Branford). LeMere was cut down trying to advance to third, which proved to be a costly out as Eastern added two more singles in the inning, but with runners on the corners and two away Miller induced a harmless ground ball to second to escape further trouble.

Bolduk was overpowering in the circle as the Panthers didn't get a runner to second base until the fifth inning. Sophomore Haley Birch poked a one-out single to left field and moved up on a sacrifice. Junior Hannah Seidner followed with a single, but Birch was held at third and Bolduk got out of the jam with an infield popup.

Miller breezed through the sixth and the Panthers rallied in the bottom half. Junior Ashley Deyo blasted a double to center and moved up on a ground out. Junior Cassidy Emerson followed with a ground ball on the infield and Deyo just beat the throw home to tie the game. Sophomore Nora Butler followed with a base hit and her stolen base put runners on second and third with one out, but Bolduk got a ground ball and popup to retire the side.

Miller followed with another one-two-three inning in the top of the seventh setting up the walk-off win. With one away, Seidner beat out a slow roller for her third hit of the game but was erased on a fielder's choice. After Deyo was hit by a pitch, Davis jumped on an outside pitch and drove it to the gap in right center to easily score junior Lindsey Hall from second.

Miller (9-6) scattered six hits while striking out three for the complete game win. In addition to Seidner's three hits, Deyo (2-for-3) and Davis (2-for-4) both had multi-hit games.

Bolduk (8-6) was the tough-luck loser, going 6 2/3  innings while giving up nine hits and striking out four. She also went 1-for-3 at the plate and scored the Warriors' lone run.

GAME TWO

Plymouth  jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first. Seidner singled and moved to second on a sacrifice. Deyo got a second life when her towering foul popup was dropped. She took advantage, blasting an RBI double deep to center field. Deyo moved to third after an errant pickoff attempt and came home when Davis singled to right.

Junior Kayla Mathieu made quick work of the Warriors through the first two innings, then worked out of trouble in the third. Sophomore Megan Hodgdon (Cheshire) doubled to left center and got to third on a passed ball with one out. Junior Callie Duthrie (Griswold) walked to put runners on the corners, but Mathieu got a fly out and ground ball to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.

The Panthers had a golden opportunity to tack on runs in the fifth. Junior Mel Goss reached on an infield hit and Seidner was safe when a bad throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Bolduk came on in relief of sophomore lefty starter Morgan Sanson (Thomaston). A bunt moved both runners into scoring position and Deyo was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Bolduk got out of the jam when Goss was erased at home on a fielder's choice and the next batter struck out.

Eastern rallied with three runs in the next half inning. Duthrie singled off the glove of the third baseman and Bolduk added a soft line drive base hit just out of the reach of the leaping Plymouth shortstop to put the first two runners on. Freshman Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) lofted a fly ball into shallow left center that was dropped by the left fielder, but she alertly fired to third to erase Duthrie. Sophomore Sara Pisanelli (Wallingford) pulled an inside pitch down the left field line for a double, the first hard hit ball of the inning, to tie the game. After a fly out, Miller came in to relieve Mathieu and was greeted with a hard single to right field by LeMere to put the Warriors in front, 3-2.

Plymouth took the lead right back in the bottom of the frame. Butler was hit by a pitch and sophomore Jen Landers roped a double to the fence in left center. Butler was nearly erased when Bolduk fielded Birch's comebacker, but she slid back into third under the tag to load the bases with nobody out. Pinch hitter Nina Murray followed with a soft ground ball to Bolduk, who came home for the force out. The throw to first looking to complete the double play sailed wide, allowing both Landers and Birch to score to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.

Miller pitched a dominant top of the seventh to earn the win.

Deyo was the only Panther to reach base multiple times, going 2-for-2 and getting the free pass. Mathieu went 5.2 innings giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out three. Miller needed only 15 pitches to record the final four outs. She allowed just a single and moved to 10-6 after picking up the win.

Sanson was charged with two runs, one earned, in her four innings and Bolduk (8-7) allowed just a hit and walk in her two innings of relief, but the two unearned runs in the sixth saddle her with the loss. Hodgdon finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and Pisanelli drove in two.

After winning five straight in the series, Eastern has been swept by Plymouth each of the past two years, losing four games by a total of five runs. Seeded first in last year's LEC tournament, Plymouth dropped a pair to No. 4 UMass Boston in the championship round to finish second.. The Warriors won one game in last year's conference tournament.

In the doubleheader, Pisanelli, LeMere, Bolduk and Hodgdon all had two of Eastern's total of 12 hits, with Hodgdon doubling twice and LeMere and Pisanelli once each. Bolduk and Sanson had a combined 1.64 ERA with seven strikeouts and only one walk but were undone by three unearned runs. After playing perfect defense in the first game, Eastern was charged with five in the nightcap, giving it 18 errors in its last five games.

Eastern visits UMass Dartmouth Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader.

Game recap courtesy of Plymouth State Sports Information Office.