BANGOR, Maine – The No. 20 Husson University softball team dropped its opening contest of the 2024 NCAA Division III Softball Bangor, Maine Regional to Framingham State University by a score of 3-1 at O'Keefe Field on Thursday afternoon.

Husson (35-5) and Framingham State (25-18) battled to a scoreless first four innings behind the strong pitching of sophomore Danielle Masterson for the Eagles and Ally Moran for the Rams. Masterson and Moran combined to allow just two base runners through the first three innings, while Moran allowed no runs in the bottom of the fourth despite surrendering two base runners.

Framingham State found the scoreboard first in Thursday's game thanks to a miscue from Husson. With runners on first and second and no outs, a sacrifice bunt from the Rams was misthrown by the Eagles, which allowed the run from second to cross home-plate.

The error from Husson was further taken advantage of by Framingham State, as the Rams plated two additional runs in the inning with a two-RBI double into center field to take a 3-0 lead after the top-half of the fifth.

The Eagles knocked one run off the deficit in their next turn at-bat, as sophomore Lydia Rice scored freshman Josie Cornell on a sacrifice fly to left field with the bases-loaded, but Husson was unable to muster any more runs in the innings, leaving the deficit at 3-1 after five innings.

Husson would put a lead-off base runner on in the seventh, courtesy of a single from Cornell, but a double play from the Rams immediately put two outs on the scoreboard and left the Eagles with just one out in the game. A fly out to left field would end the game for Husson and snap its 30-game win-streak.

Cornell posted three out of the four hits in the game for the Eagles, with graduate student Katie Raymond contributing the other base-knock. 

Masterson lasted five innings in the circle, surrendering four hits, no walks and no earned runs, while adding six strikeouts. Freshman Ana Lang relieved Masterson for the final two frames, allowing no hits and no walks, in addition to punching out three hitters.

The Eagles will be back in action tomorrow against No. 19 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with first-pitch set for 1:30 p.m.