Adelphi and Saint Anselm meet in 2022 title game rematch
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - No. 1 Adelphi will meet No. 6 Saint Anselm in the NE10 Championship Final Saturday May 4, after each program won nailbiters Friday afternoon in Garden City. Adelphi defeated No. 8 SCSU in a 3-1 victory in Game 1 on the day. Saint Anselm beat No. 2 Assumption 1-0 in a game that saw just six total hits, and four total runners in scoring position.
The Panthers will be making their seventh consecutive NE10 final appearance, are looking for their third NE10 title in a row, and fifth in seven seasons. Standing in their way are the Saint Anselm Hawks, who are the only team to beat the Panthers in an NE10 final since 2015. The Hawks won two consecutive NE10 titles in 2019 and 2021, both over Adelphi.
The two will meet at 12pm at Janet L. Ficke Field tomorrow May 4.
No. 1 Adelphi 3, No. 8 Southern Connecticut 1
Box Score
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Anchored by a sixth-inning two-out rally, the top-seeded Adelphi University softball team prevailed in its NE10 Championship semifinal against No. 8 seed Southern Connecticut State University, 3-1, on Friday afternoon at Janet L. Ficke Field.
With the win, the Panthers (31-18) will have the opportunity to defend their NE10 Tournament title for a second-consecutive year.
Southern Connecticut (19-24) -- which upset No. 4 seed Southern New Hampshire University in a 13-inning marathon twenty-four hours earlier -- had the 'Cats on the brink, after NE10 Player of the Year Jessica Perucki's fourth-inning solo homer got the Owls out to the initial lead.
With just six outs to spare, Faith Camilleri's lead-off single in the sixth, followed by a pair of walks from Jaden Farhat and freshman Kaitlyn Klepper loaded the bases.
As Kendall Winn stepped in for a crucial pinch-hit appearance, the senior dropped a short pop-up just behind the left side of the infield, tying the game at 1-apiece. Zee Zee Shreter then hammered a 1-0 pitch up the middle, scoring both Farhat and Klepper to give the 'Cats a two-run advantage.
Senior pitcher and reigning NE10 Championship Most Valuable Player Lindsey Hibbs came back to the circle to retire the side, with Farhat firing the two-out grounder to Camilleri for the final out that has Adelphi making another championship bid on Saturday. The Ontario native finished with a final line of one earned run on four hits, along with four strikeouts, for her 19th victory of the season.
- Recap Provided by Adelphi Athletics -
No. 6 Saint Anselm 1, No. 2 Assumption 0
Box Score
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - The Saint Anselm softball team defeated Assumption University, 1-0, in the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) Semifinals on Friday afternoon to advance to the championship game for the fourth time in program history. Sophomore Rose Reitmeyer's RBI triple is the difference for the Hawks improving to 24-22 overall with the win over the Greyhounds who close their season with a 23-14 record.
Neither team was able to do much to threat to score throughout the first three innings. Saint Anselm did not have any hits, while Assumption only had one in the second inning, it was a double by Grace Heim, and would be the Greyhounds only runner in scoring position all game.
In the top of the fourth, a one out double by Sam Wiberg got the first hit on the board for the Hawks. The next batter Rose Reitmeyer hit a triple to right to put the Hawks in front 1-0. Hawks starter Haile Hicks would set down the Greyhounds in order in the bottom of the fourth, and pitched around a leadoff single in the fifth to put the Hawks six outs away from a trip to the final.
Saint Anselm threatened with a hit in the top of the sixth but had nothing to show for it, and Hicks cruised through the bottom half of the inning. Despite a walk in the seventh the the Hawks could not add any insurance for Hicks. Assumption's Anna Tassone was spectacular in the circle as she allowed just four hits, one walk, and one run, and threw 96 pitches.
Hicks finished what she started with a 1-2-3 seventh with a strikeout, to clinch her 21st win on the year, Hicks allowed just two hits, had six strikeouts, no walks, and threw a stellar 78 pitches in a complete game shutout.
Saint Anselm clinched their fourth trip to the NE10 final in five seasons, and will meet familiar foe Adelphi, who they beat in the 2021 final, and lost in the 2022 final.
NE10 Softball Championship
Tuesday, April 30
First Round Games
Game 1: #6 Saint Anselm 4, #7 Bentley 2
Game 2: #8 Southern Connecticut 13, #5 Franklin Pierce 3
Thursday, May 2 (at Adelphi)
Game 3: #6 Saint Anselm 3, #3 Pace 0 (F/9)
Game 4: #8 Southern Connecticut 3, #4 Southern New Hampshire 2 (F/13)
Friday, May 3 (at Adelphi)
Game 5: #1 Adelphi 3, #8 Southern Connecticut 1
Game 6: #6 Saint Anselm 1, #2 Assumption 0
Saturday, May 6th (at Adelphi)
Game 7: #1 Adelphi vs #6 Saint Anselm - 12pm
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 12 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.
