Auburn, ME – CMCC Softball opened its spring 2025 season with a 6-4 loss to Roxbury Community College on Saturday afternoon at its turf field complex. Captain Olivia Gallan had two hits and scored twice, but a late rally in the bottom of the seventh fell short for the Mustangs. The matchup was scheduled as a doubleheader, but an injury meant the Tigers had to forfeit game two.

"Today was not what we were hoping for," said head coach Megan Larochelle. "We are working through a lot of injuries and those are really hurting us. We just need to find something that works until we can get healthy again. We are going to keep working those kinks out and hopefully get back to where we want to be this spring."

Game One, 4-6 L

Central Maine took the lead early on. In their first at bats of the spring season, captain Olivia Gallan worked a lead-off walk. The speedy senior from South Paris, ME promptly stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball to centerfield, and came home on a wild pitch to put the Mustangs up 1-0.

Both starting pitchers, Madison Boynton for CMCC and Naziha Alfrid for Roxbury, struggled to locate the strike zone early, issuing multiple walks. However, neither offense could come through with the hits needed to break the game open in the first two innings.

That changed when the Tigers took the lead in the top of the third. Kadejah Charles scored walked to start the inning before Akire Lloyd put her in scoring position with a double into center field. Charles scored on a pitch that squeezed under catcher Madison Anderson to tie things up. Erika Lora blooped an RBI single into shallow right to plate Lloyd and Alfrid followed that up with a double to left on a lined shot that just stayed fair and rolled all the way to the fence. The throw to home was not in time to get Lora and Alfrid advanced to third in the confusion. That proved important as she scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1 Tigers.

The Mustangs got one back in the bottom of the fourth. Miah Gallan ripped a base hit into right field and moved up to second on a throwing error. Newcomer to the team Autumn Peterson, now a three-sport athlete after completing successful seasons on both the volleyball and basketball court, hit a deep fly ball to center field that was caught but still allowed Gallan to reach third. McKenna Ridlon followed with a great battle at the plate, fouling off four pitches. When Alfrid finally retired the Hartford, ME native, a dropped third strike meant they still had to get her out at first. Gallan took advantage to sneak home for the run.

Peterson pitched the final four innings for CMCC, relieving an ailing Boynton. Emily Libby picked up an RBI for Central Maine on a fielder's choice when Keira Greene beat out a throw to the plate on a short ground ball back to the pitcher. However, Roxbury responded by scoring twice in the top of the sixth to lead 6-3. Alfrid cleared the bases with a two-RBI double over the head of Makenzie Anderson in left field.

Down to their last outs, the Mustangs looked to spark a rally. Libby led off with a single into shallow center followed by a line drive to left by the elder Gallan. The Tigers settled themselves with a conference at the circle and got Sam Withee to pop out. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, and the younger Gallan had an infield fly dropped to let her reach first. However, Libby was thrown out trying to score. One run came home on a wild pitch to Peterson, but Alfrid hauled in a pop up two pitches later to end the game.

It was a dramatic turnaround from when the two sides met for CMCC's final series of the fall campaign, when the Mustangs won both games by a combined score of 46-4.

Unfortunately for Roxbury, an injury to one of their players late in game one meant they did not have enough players to start game two, causing them to forfeit the second half of their doubleheader. CMCC now prepares to open Yankee Small College Conference play next week when they face in-state rivals SMCC and UMaine-Augusta.