Lesley takes on WNEC in first round of the ECAC Championships

The Lesley University softball team earned the #5 seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships after winning the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) title this past weekend and will play #4 Western New England College in the first round on Wednesday, May 6.  The 27-13 Lynx take on a 29-4 WNEC squad that lost two straight games in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Championship to Endicott College over the weekend.

The first round contest will be played at WNEC's home field in Springfield, Massachusetts starting at 4:00 pm on Wednesday.  The winner of the game will move on to a double-elimination tournament to be played at the highest remaining seed starting on Saturday, May 9. 

The other first round games being played this afternoon include the #8 Curry (27-16) at Brandeis (25-15), #7 Salve Regina (25-19) at #2 Keene State (26-14), and #6 Plymouth State (22-16) at #3 Saint Joseph's (29-13).  All games will start at 4:00 pm today.

The entry into the ECAC Championships marks the first time a Lesley athletic program has earned a bid into the tournament and the second year in-a-row that the softball team has reached postseason play beyond their conference tournament.  The Lynx went to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2008 after winning a record 30 games and taking the North Atlantic Conference Championship. 

TOURNAMENT BRACKET

2009 ECAC DIVISION III New England Softball Championship

First Round - Wednesday, May 6

No. 8 Curry (27-16) at No. 1 Brandeis (25-15), 4 p.m.
No. 7 Salve Regina (25-19) at No. 2 Keene State (26-14), 4 p.m.
No. 6 Plymouth State (22-16) at No. 3 Saint Joseph's (29-13), 4 p.m.
No. 5 Lesley (27-13) at No. 4 WNEC (29-4), 4 p.m.

Double Elimination (Day 1) - Saturday, May 9 at highest remaining seed

Game 1: Brandeis/Curry winner vs. WNEC/Lesley winner, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Keene State/Salve Regina winner vs. Saint Joseph's/Plymouth State winner, 1p.m.
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m.

Double Elimination (Day 2) - Sunday, May 10

Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, TBD
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, TBD p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, TBD p.m.