Embrace the Victory: Saint Anselm Heading to Second-Straight NCAA Softball Super Regional

Embrace the Victory: Saint Anselm Heading to Second-Straight NCAA Softball Super Regional

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hawks Advance to Super Regional; Scheduled to Play LIU Post.


MANCHESTER, N.H. – For the second consecutive season, the nationally-ranked and top-seeded Saint Anselm softball team advanced to the 2019 NCAA Division II Super Regionals, thanks to Saturday's 4-0 blanking of Southern New Hampshire in the East Region pod hosted by the Hawks.

Ranked No. 20 in NCAA Division II, Saint Anselm improves to 40-8 overall on the season after defeating Bridgeport on Thursday and Southern New Hampshire (38-15) on Friday and Saturday in the East 1 Region pod. The Hawks will battle LIU Post, the winner of the other East Region pod, in the Super Regionals on Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17 at the Hilltop. The victor in the three-game series between LIU Post and Saint Anselm will claim the East Region title and a trip to Denver, Colo. for the NCAA Division II Softball National Championship.

Five of the Penmen's 15 losses on the season have come at the hands of Saint Anselm, who has now won 15 consecutive games and 25 of its last 26 contests. The Hawks also set a program record with their 14th shutout of the season, passing last year's team record of 13 games without yielding a run.

For the 22nd time this season, junior pitcher Morgan Perry went the distance for the Hawks, finishing with five strikeouts and allowing just a pair of hits and two walks for her 25th victory of the year in the circle. The unanimous Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year set the single-season team record for innings pitched (198) and completed the afternoon with 220 strikeouts, extending her single-season record.

Junior Maggie Murphy had three hits at the dish, scoring twice and driving in a run to lead the Hawks offense. With 99 career runs scored, Murphy passed Amanda Bickford '18 for sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list. Classmate Erin Thompson drove in two runs with two hits, including a double down the left field line.

-Recap provided by Saint Anselm athletic communications office-

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete. 

Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.