LESLEY REPEATS AS 2011 NECC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONS
2011 NECC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals • Tuesday, May 3
Game 1-#6 Daniel Webster (7-17, 5-11) at #3 Mitchell (13-17,
10-6), MC 11-3
Game 2-#5 Newbury (9-22, 9-7) at #4 Becker (14-20, 10-6),
NC 4-1
Semifinals • Friday, May 6 (Hosted by Lesley at
UMass Boston)
Game 3-#5 Newbury (10-22) at #1 Lesley (26-6, 16-0),
LU 8-0
Game 4-#3 Mitchell (14-17) vs. #2 Elms (20-12, 14-2),
EC 5-0
Game 5-#5 Newbury (10-23) vs. #3 Mitchell (15-17), MC
3-1
Game 6-#2 Elms (21-12) vs. #1 Lesley (27-6), LU
4-1
Semifinals and Championship Game • Saturday, May 7
(Hosted by Lesley at UMass Boston)
Game 7-#3 Mitchell (16-17) vs. #2 Elms (21-13),
EC 2-1 (8)
Championship Game
Game 8-#2 Elms (22-12) vs. #1 Lesley (28-6),
LU 3-1
GAME EIGHT: #1 LU 3, #2 EC 1
BOX SCORE: http://athletics.lesley.edu/sports/sball/2010-11/files/lus35.htm
BOSTON, Mass. – No. 1 Lesley University (29-6, 16-0 NECC) topped No. 2 Elms College (22-14, 13-3 NECC), 3-1, in the New England Collegiate Conference Softball Championship Saturday afternoon, earning the Lynx a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Lesley battery of pitcher Cassandra Knox (Sea Cliff, NY/North Point) and catcher Molly Sarson (Sanford, ME/Sanford) shined, as Knox held the Blazers to three hits, striking out six for the complete game win. Sarson, meanwhile, went 1-for-3 with a run scored, as the sophomore was named NECC Tournament Most Valuable Player following her team’s fourth straight league title, third in the NECC.
Elms wasted no time getting on the board in the first. Alison McBride (East Providence, RI/East Providence) singled to lead off the game, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Rachel Butt (Agwam, MA/Agwam) single to center.
Lesley jumped on top in the third thanks to a two-run double off the bat of center fielder Alyson Durben (Stow, MA/Nashoba). Freshman Maria Nazzaro singled to right to lead off the frame, and after moving to second on a sacrifice, she advanced to third after sweating out a hot box, arriving safely on a muffed Blazers throw. Two batters later, Durben sent home both Nazzaro and Sarson from second, lifting the Lynx on top 2-1 after three.
A leadoff walk proved costly to Elms starter Destinee Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) in the fifth. After walking Sarson and Durben to lead off the inning, Durben trotted home from third on a Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, MA/Wakefield) RBI single to the hole left, adding an insurance run for a rejuvenated Knox.
From the third to the sixth, the Lynx starter sat down 10 straight, four by way of strikeout, keeping the Blazers off the board for the final six innings. She retired the side in order in the seventh, capping a fourth straight conference championship for Lesley, which will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.
With the win, Knox improves to 13-4 on her junior season, while
Meeker falls to 12-7.
For the Blazers, McBride went 1-for-3 with a run scored, and Butt
went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Both were selected to the NECC
All-Tournament Team, as was shortstop Jenna
Lipscomb (Cambridge, MA/Lawrence).
For the Lynx, Mercurio and fellow infielder Jenna Fralick (Woburn, MA/Woburn) were chosen to the All-Tournament Team, joining tourney MVP Sarson.
Jen Benway’s Lynx now await Monday’s NCAA Tournament selection, which will determine when and where her team play’s again.
GAME SEVEN: #2 EC 2, #3 MC 1 (8 innings)
BOX SCORE:http://www.mitchellathletics.com/sports/sball/2010-11/boxscores/20110506_xlho.xml
BOSTON, Mass. – No. 2 Elms advanced to the NECC Championship
with a 2-1 win over Mitchell College in eight innings at
UMass-Boston's Clark Field.
The Blazers put a run on the board without getting the ball out of
the infield in the third. Alison McBride (East
Providence, RI/East Providence) singled on a grounder past the
mound, and Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, MA/Lawrence)
reached on a dribbler to third, on which McBride two bases on a
Mariners’ throwing error. One batter later, a Rachel
Butt (Agwam, MA/Agwam) groundout to short scored the
Blazers right fielder from third, putting Elms on top 1-0 after
three.
Mitchell tied it up in the sixth, which Nikki Hoxie led off by
legging out a double of the glove of an outstretched Leah
Spring. After advancing to third on a groundout, sophomore
Tiffany Person (Waterbury, CT/Crosby) lined a
single to right, knotting the game at 1-1.
The game stayed tied into extra innings, when Mitchell nearly
struck first. Tricia Tomaselli (Guilford,
CT/Guilford) was gunned out at home plate trying to score from
third on a ground ball to Ali Witaszek (Feeding
Hills, MA/Agwam) at first base, leaving the game tied for what
would be the home team’s final at-bat.
A Jenna Lipscomb chopper to second base scored a sliding
Izzy Caraballo (Springfield, MA/Central) from
third base with the game-winning run, sending Elms to the
championship for a rematch with No. 1 Lesley.
Courtney Hampton (Westfield, MA/Westfield) picked
up the win for Elms, going all eight innings, scattering five hits
and striking out five. Marissa Thomas (New London,
CT/Saint Bernard) took the loss, striking out two in seven-plus
innings.
2011 NECC Tournament MVP
Lesley: Molly Sarson, So., C
2011 NECC All-Tournament Team
Newbury: Rebecca Roach, So., P
Newbury: Teressa Farioli, Jr., IF
Mitchell: Marissa Thomas, Jr., P
Mitchell: Brittany Zaccaria, Jr., OF
Elms: Rachel Butt, So., 3B
Elms: Jenna Lipscomb, Jr., SS
Elms: Alison McBride, Sr., OF
Lesley: Jenna Fralick, Jr., 3B
Lesley: Nicole Mercurio, Fr., 2B
Courtesy of Lesley Sports Information
LINKS
Game Two Program
2011 NECC Softball Championship Program
2011 NECC Softball Championship Handbook
(Directions)
