Box Score

BOSTON - The Boston University softball team earned a crucial 4-2 victory over Maine (28-20, 8-7 AE) on Thursday afternoon, as it improves to 31-15 overall and 9-5 in the America East and holds on to its third-place spot in the conference standings. Senior Nora Militz went 2-for-2 with one RBI, and junior Cassidi Hardy went the distance to improve to 17-5 in the pitcher's circle.

Hardy pitched her 19th complete game of the season, striking out four batters, walking two and allowing two runs - both unearned - on five hits.

Militz led the way in the batter's box with two hits, one RBI and a home run in the fourth to get BU on the board. Senior Shayne Lotito went 2-for-4 and stole three bases in the victory, while sophomore April Setterlund was 1-for-3 with one walk.

Maine got on the scoreboard early backed by aggressive base running as Alexis Souhlaris got on base with a single up the middle on the first pitch and then stole second base. On the next at-bat, Souhlaris came home from second as she took advantage of a fielding error. In the bottom half of the inning, BU threatened with a bases-loaded jam with no outs, but Maine dug down and got out of the inning unscathed.

In the second, Hardy settled in and retired the batters in order with two straight strikeouts and a ground out to the pitcher's circle. In a near replica of the first inning, the Terriers put runners on first and second, but a fly out to center field ended the threat.

With one swing of the bat, Militz knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth as she drove it deep to right field for her fifth dinger of the year. Lotito stole and third after getting on base on an infield single and Setterlund recorded an infield hit that brought Lotito home to put the Terriers up by one, 2-1.

The Black Bears tied it up in the top of the fifth as they moved a runner home on a passed ball. However, BU made the most of a fielding error at second base, scoring two runs in the sixth to go ahead for good.

This weekend BU will travel to Vermont for a three-game series with the Catamounts beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.