Orono, Maine -- The UMBC Softball team exploded for 18 runs and Kya Matter got it done in the circle and at the plate as the Retrievers took a pair from Maine, 10-7 and 8-7, on Saturday in Orono.

Matter closed out both games, working a total of seven innings, striking out 10, allowing four hits and no earned runs. At the plate, the junior went 2-for-3 in the second game with two RBI.

Game 1:

• Maine went up 4-0 in the third thanks to multiple UMBC errors allowing three unearned runs to score
• Emily Riggs blasted a solo homer in the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-1, but another unearned run scored for the hosts in the bottom half of the inning to push their lead to 5-1
• UMBC exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good
• Ella Squaires walked to leadoff the inning, Amaya Carroll followed with a single, and both scored on a Hailey Luginbill double that made it 5-3
• Later in the inning, Riggs, Abby Brenowitz and Jolie Torrens would draw three-straight bases loaded walks to give the Dawgs a 6-5 lead
• Squaires would make it 7-5 advantage on an RBI single moments later
• Maine would get one run back in the bottom of the sixth to cut the UMBC lead to 7-6
• The Retrievers would add some important insurance in the top of the seventh on a Carroll two-run homer and heads-up baserunning from pinch-runner Julia Colton who plated the 10th run from third when a throw in from the outfield on an Ashley Della Guardia went to second base instead of home
• Maine would get yet another unearned run in the bottom of the seventh, but Matter closed the door with a strike out
• Jerzie Nutile picked up the win, striking out a career-high nine batters, while only allowing one earned run in five innings of work
• Maggie Frisvold worked two solid innings of relief before Matter came in for the seventh
• Carroll finished 3-for-5, while Squaires went 2-for-3 with two walks and Luginbill had the first multi-hit game of her career (2-for-4)

Game 2:

• Sqauires reached on an error in the first, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Luginbill sacrifice fly to put the Dawgs up 1-0
• A pair of errors allowed Maine to tie the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but UMBC responded in the top of the second
• Amya Lundy walked and scored on a Riggs single, and then Mikayla Bryant (pinch-running for Riggs) would score on a two-out single by Squaires to make it 3-1
• In the third, Luginbill hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a Della Guardia walk, and then scored on a Lundy RBI single
• Matter then had a two-RBI single that made it 6-1
• In the fourth, Carroll started the frame with a double and scored on RBI single from Della Guardia
• Lundy then drove in Della Guardia on a sac bunt to make it 8-1
• After five solid innings from Matter, Maine got to the UMBC bullpen with a grand slam in the sixth to make it 8-5
• Matter came back in with runners at second and third and no outs in the seventh, and got the first two batters on short fly outs
• After an infield single plated two when the runner just beat the throw, Matter got a strikeout to end the game

The series finale will be at 11 am on Sunday