NE10 SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
Top Seeds Advance to NE10 Championship Series
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Saint Anselm never trailed and allowed just one run over two games as the top seed in the Northeast Division advanced to the NE10 Championship for the second straight year while Southwest top seed Adelphi used strong pitching and timely hitting to sweep No. 2 seed New Haven on Sunday.
The Panthers took game one with a walk-off single by Emily Whitman and then held off the Chargers 2-1 in game two for the sweep. Adelphi and Saint Anselm met in 2019 for the NE10 Championship, as the Hawks edged the Panthers 4-3 in a ten-inning affair. Adelphi will now travel to face the Hawks in a best of three series beginning on Friday afternoon. Saint Anselm earned the home field advantage by virtue of their higher winning percentage during conference play.
(1SW) Adelphi 3, (2SW) New Haven 2 – Box Score
(1SW) Adelphi 2, (2SW) New Haven 1 – Box Score
In the opening game of the best of three series New Haven grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a fielding error. Adelphi responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-run single by Angela Lignelli. Nahtali Simpson tied it up with an RBI triple in the top of the fifth and the game went to the seventh knotted 2-2.
Mya Case led off with a double for the Chargers, but Ally Muller dug in to get three straight outs. Kendall Winn then led off the bottom seventh with a double. Following a walk, a throwing error allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Emily Whitman drove in the winning run with a single to right.
Muller earned the win by striking out 13 in 7.0 innings with six hits and one earned run. Ava Fitzmaurice took the loss as she allowed two earned runs and walked two while striking out three.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Adelphi jumped on New Haven with two runs in the top of the first as the Panthers served as the visitors. The score remained 2-0 until Case ripped a home run to cut the lead in half. A few batters later, Claire Fon entered with one out and runners first and second. She got out of the frame and finished off the Chargers in the seventh to earn the save.
Lindsey Hibbs earned the victory for Adelphi as she went 5.1 innings with five hits allowed, one earned run and four strikeouts. Fitzmaurice took her second straight loss, despite just giving up four hits and striking out six.
(1NE) Saint Anselm 2, (2NE) Franklin Pierce 0 – Box Score
(1NE) Saint Anselm 7, (2NE) Franklin Pierce 1 – Box Score
In the opening game, Saint Anselm's Morgan Perry was virtually unhittable once again. The senior gave up just two singles and walked two batters while striking out 12 to win her 16th game of the year.
Perry got the only support she would need in the bottom of the first as Lauren Washburn singled home Kylie Fitzpatrick for a 1-0 advantage. The Hawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the second.
In the second game, it remained scoreless until the fourth inning. Saint Anselm, playing as the visitor, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a three-run homer by Kat Strackrow. Franklin Pierce did get one run back in the bottom of the frame on a solo shot, but the Hawks added a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth to push their lead to 7-1.
McKenna Smith was lights out in game two, allowing just four hits and one earned run with eight strikeouts. Cyrena Zemaitis took the loss as she went 5.0 innings and allowed three earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts.
Tuesday, May 4th (Single Elimination)
Divisional First Round Games - Northeast
Game 1NE: #4NE SNHU 1, #5NE Bentley 0
Game 2NE: #3NE Assumption 1, #6NE Saint Michael's 0
Game 3NE: #2NE Franklin Pierce 7, #7NE Stonehill 6
Divisional First Round Games – Southwest
Game 1SW: #4SW Le Moyne 2, #5SW Pace 0
Game 2SW: #6SW AIC 3, #3SW Southern Connecticut 2 (8 inn)
Game 3SW: #2SW New Haven 7, #7SW Saint Rose 1
Thursday, May 6th (Single Elimination)
Divisional Semifinals – Northeast
Game 4NE: #1NE Saint Anselm 8, #4NE SNHU 0
Game 5NE: #2NE Franklin Pierce, #3NE Assumption 0
Divisional Semifinals – Southwest
Game 4SW: #1SW Adelphi 1, #4SW Le Moyne 0 (8 inn)
Game 5SW: #2SW New Haven 1, #6SW AIC 0
Sunday-Monday, May 9th-10th
Divisional Finals (Best of three series) – Northeast
Sunday: #1NE Saint Anselm 2, #2NE Franklin Pierce 0
Sunday: #1NE Saint Anselm 7, #2NE Franklin Pierce 1
Sunday: #1SW Adelphi 3, #2SW New Haven 2
Sunday: #1SW Adelphi 2, #2SW New Haven 1
Friday-Saturday May 14th-15th
Championship Final (Best of three series)
Friday: Games 1 & 2: #1SW Adelphi at #1NE Saint Anselm - 12/2 PM
Saturday: Game 3 (if necessary)
The highest Remaining Seed will host the Championship Final. However, if the two teams that advance to the Championship Final have the same divisional seed, the site of the final will be determined first by examining Divisional win percentage. The team with the higher win percentage in their division will host. If the teams are tied in win percentage, the team with the highest number of wins in their division will host. And finally, if the teams remain tied because they have equal number of wins, the Southwest Division has been predetermined to host.
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 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 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, 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.
