BIDDEFORD, Maine – Sophomore Meghan Sears (Tewksbury, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs in Nichols College's 5-2 loss at UNE in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Play-in round Saturday afternoon at Claude Dubois field.
 
Freshman Kasey Ayer (Niantic, Conn.) recorded a pair of hits – including a double to centerfield in the first inning – as the Bison closed the season with an 11-18 record. Junior Abby Lambert (Brockton, Mass.) held the Bison to three hits while striking out nine to send the No. 6 seeded Nor'easters into the double elimination round, where they will face No. 3 Endicott Monday at Salve Regina University.
 
After Nichols stranded a pair in the top of the first, UNE got on the board in its half of the frame when freshman Cat Ouellette (Winthrop, Mass.) led off with a single and scored on a passed ball.
 
Nichols struck for two runs in the fourth to grab a 2-1 lead. Ayer led off with a single before junior Haley Fountain (Warren, Mass.) reached on a fielders choice. Two batters later, Sears plated both runners with a single to center.
 
The Nor'easters (18-18) answered with four in the bottom of the inning to move ahead 5-2. Senior Paige Moore-Haskell (Scarborough, Maine) doubled in the tying run and a two-run single off the bat of sophomore Sydney Helbrecht (Grand Rapids, Minn.) brought in two with a single to center. UNE added an unearned run on a throwing error.
 
Lambert retired the final 11 batters she faced to even her record at 7-7 on the season. Fountain, meanwhile, allowed six hits and five runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings of work. She walked one and struck out one before being lifted in favor or Sears, who threw the final 2.1 innings.