BEVERLY, Mass. - Western New England College is among three teams remaining in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) Softball Tournament after winning a pair of games Friday (Apr. 30).
The third-seeded Golden Bears eliminated fourth-seeded Salve Regina 5-1 in their opening game played at Endicott College in Beverly. WNEC then moved up the road and sent fifth-seeded Anna Maria packing with a 9-6 victory in a game played at Gordon College in Wenham.
Western New England College is now 3-1 in tournament play after three days of competition.
The Golden Bears will meet second-seeded University of New England at 10:00 a.m. Saturday (May 1) in an elimination game in Beverly. The Nor'easters handed Coach Lori Mayhew's squad its only loss (7-6) yesterday in Biddeford, Maine.
The WNEC/UNE winner will play top-seeded Endicott at approximately noon with another game scheduled for 2:00 p.m. if necessary.
Western New England College 5, Salve Regina 1
Sophomore
Sarah Lempicki (Plantsville, CT) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Golden Bears. Lempicki finished with a two-hitter in raising her record to 8-3. WNEC took a 3-0 lead in the first following run-scoring singles by Lempicki, sophomore shortstop
Sara Barnes (Berkeley, MA), and senior second base player
Kate Post (Bridgewater, MA). Barnes also plated the final run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Western New England College had nine hits with senior center fielder
Lauren Arsenault (Fitchburg, MA) contributing a single and double. Sophomore designated player
Rachel Wywra (Methuen, MA) added a pair of singles.
Freshman first baseman player
Courtney Fleming (Wethersfield, CT) doubled to break-up the no hitter with one out in the seventh. She went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by senior pinch-hitter
Kristen Danubio (Glen Rock, NJ) for the Seahawks' only run.
WNEC improves to 24-18-1 while Salve Regina ends its season with a 20-13 mark.
Western New England College 9, Anna Maria 6
The Golden Bears scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally from an 8-1 deficit. Junior catcher
Elyse Gauvin (Swansea, MA), senior center fielder Lau
ren Arsenault (Fitchburg, MA) and sophomore shortstop Sara Barnes (Berkley, MA) each came through with clutch two-run doubles. The AMCATS also committed three errors in the inning. Arsenault, senior second base player
Kate Post (Bridgewater, MA), and sophomore left fielder
Ashley Stolarik (Wilbraham, MA) had two hits apiece. Freshman
Rachelle Fecteau (East Lyme, CT) pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief for the win. She is now 3-4 this season.
Sophomore left fielder
Mary Moroski (Worcester, MA) had two doubles and a single while sophomore first base player Samanth
a Putis (Charlton, MA) also had three hits for Anna Maria.
Western New England College (25-18-1) and Anna Maria (22-21) each collected 12 hits.