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Freshman Melissa Haffner and the Penn softball team dropped a pair of games to the University of Maine at Warren Field on Saturday. Haffner walked twice and had two putouts playing right field in the first game, a 4-3 Black Bears win. The Quakers also dro

With the start of the Ivy League campaign and a matchup with rival Princeton nearing, the Penn softball team hosted Maine in a doubleheader Saturday. However, in the nonconference tune up, the Quakers found themselves on the losing side of both games of the twin bill, losing 4-3 and 5-1 (in eight innings).

In the first game, Maine (9-10) jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning off Penn senior pitcher Nicky Borgstadt. Penn (7-14) went down by another two runs after the Black Bears added to their lead with an RBI double and single in the fifth inning.

Penn freshman pitcher Olivia Mauro relieved Borgstadt in the fifth inning and did not surrender an earned run in her three innings of work.

The Quakers put forth a rally in their last at bat, as they loaded the bases with no one out. Freshman second baseman Stephanie Reichert hit two runners home with a one-out single. Another Penn runner scored on a passed ball, but Maine junior pitcher Jennifer Merchant came in to record the game's final two outs and preserve a 4-3 win.

The nightcap proved to be a pitchers' duel between Penn freshman Lindsey Permar and Maine sophomore Sarah Bennis. The two pitchers only allowed one run each through the seven innings of regulation.

Penn scored its lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning after sophomore third baseman Meghan Cowen batted home freshman first baseman Kim May. The 1-0 advantage was the only lead that the Quakers posted all weekend.

Maine tied the game in the top of the sixth inning on the strength of junior third baseman Lauren Dulkis' RBI single.

After a scoreless seventh inning, the Black Bears erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth. To start the inning, a player was placed on second and the next two runners advanced on bunts to load the bases. Sophomore right fielder Molly McKinney cleared the bases with a grand slam home run to left field.

The Quakers went quietly in the bottom of the inning, with the first three batters retiring in order.

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