BALTIMORE -- The UMBC Softball team opened America East play in style as it swept visiting Maine, 8-2 and 12-4 (5) on Friday night at The Diamond.

With the wins, the Retrievers pushed their win streak to six and scored seven or more runs in all six of those games.

Ella Squaires walked five times, stole two bases and had two hits, while Lyndsey Evix homered in each game, including a grand slam in game two.

Kya Matter went the distance in game one, striking out seven, walking one and allowing just three hits and two runs to improve to 5-5 on the season. Maggie Frisvold came on in relief in game two and worked the final 2.2 innings without allowing an earned. run to pick up the win.

Game 1:

• UMBC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Squaires slapped a leadoff single, stole second, and then scored on an Emily Riggs double.
• It remained 1-0 until the fourth when Evix started the inning with a solo homer to make it 2-0
• Three batters later Amya Lundy blasted a two-run homer to double the lead at make it 4-0
• Maine got two back in the top of the fifth, but UMBC pushed the lead to 7-2 in the bottom half of the inning on a Jerzie Nutile three-RBI double
• With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Riggs singled, moved to second on an Evix walk, and then scored on an Ashley Della Guardia RBI single for the final run of the game
• Riggs went 3-for-4 and Della Guardia went 2-for-3 in the contest
• Squaires stole two bases, while Julia Colton, Macy Granzow and Jaedyn McKeon all stole a base as well

Game 2:

• The Retrievers jumped all over the Black Bears with an eight run first inning
• Squaires worked a leadoff walk, Amaya Carroll and Riggs were both hit-by-pitches and then Evix smashed the first pitch she saw over the fence for a grand slam to give UMBC A 4-0 lead four batters into the first
• The next three batters walked and Jolie Torrens made it 5-0 with an RBI single
• Granzow followed with a two-run single to make it 7-0 as the first nine batters all reached for the Retrievers
• After Carroll was hit by a pitch for the second time in the inning to load the bases, Riggs was walked to force in a run and make it 8-0 after one
• Maine took advantage of multiple UMBC defensive miscues in the second to tally three runs and trim the deficit to 8-3
• The Black Bears looked to get out of a jam in the bottom of the second, but a two out error allowed Della Guardia to score and Squaires followed with an RBI single to make it 10-3
• Maine trimmed the UMBC lead to 10-4 in the fourth after an unearned run scored on a two-out error
• In the bottom of the fifth Lundy singled with one out, stole second and moved to third on a Granzow single
• Granzow then stole second and both players scored to end the game via run-rule on Carroll's two-RBI single
• Squaires and Della Guardia each drew three walks in the contest as UMBC drew 13 walks in the game
• Frisvold picked up her first career hit in the game

The two teams will aim to close their series on Sunday at noon