CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Lesley University softball wrapped up their regular season on a high note, sweeping a doubleheader over New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) foe Daniel Webster College this afternoon at Buckingham Field. The Lynx hung on for a 2-0 win in the first game of the afternoon while cruising to an 8-0 finish in six innings in game two. Lesley finishes the regular season with an 18-13 overall record and a 17-1 mark in NECC action and will be the top-seed in the upcoming NECC Championship. The Eagles end their season with a 2-20 record, including a 2-16 standing in conference play.
Following the game, the Lynx honored captains Sarah Apgar (Andover, N.J.), Allison Fountain (Cheshire, Conn.), Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass.), and Maria Nazzaro (North Reading, Mass.) with a ceremony to celebrate Senior Day in their regular season finale. Together the four have been part of three consecutive NECC titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Lynx also honored head coach Jen Benway on reaching her 250th win of her coaching career and coaching her 500th game of her career. Benway has been head coach of Lesley softball for the past 15 seasons and has led her teams to six straight conference championships – five in the NECC, one in the North Atlantic Conference – and five NCAA Tournament appearances. In the past six seasons, she has led the Lynx to an outstanding 182-91 record.
Game One: DWC 0, Lesley 2
Lesley freshman Alyson Nisbet (Clovis, Calif.) out-dueled Daniel Webster starter Sara Pelkey (Fitzwilliam, N.H.) to earn her 10th win of the season.
Nisbet pitched her second shutout of the season and did not allow an earned run for her fourth straight start. The freshman went the distance, scattering just three hits while tying her season-high with nine strikeouts.
Pelkey was excellent for the Eagles in the loss, throwing all six innings, allowing just six hits, two runs (one earned), and striking out two.
Lesley got on the board first when freshman Mekenzi Golden (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)laced a two-out double down the left field line to score Fountain all the way from first, who reached on a one-out single through the left side of the single.
Golden scored the second and final run of the game in the bottom of the six when a ball misplayed in the Daniel Webster outfield off the bat of sophomore Angela Mukai (Amherst, N.H.) allowed the rookie to score from first.
The Eagles had their best chance in the top of the sixth inning. After freshman Jacqueline Goodno (Manchester, N.H.) reached on a Lesley error with one out, sophomore Mollie Bartles (Torrington, Conn.) followed with a single up the middle. Nisbet was able to escape the jam unscathed as she forced to infield pop-ups to end the inning, as the Lynx held on for the 2-0 win.
Game Two: DWC 0, Lesley 8 – 6 innings
The second game of the day was all Lynx as they received a complete-game shutout from sophomore Jordan Thomas (Fitchburg, Mass.) while the offense smacked 13 hits in the 8-0 win that was shortened to six-innings by mercy rule.
Thomas kept the Eagle bats quiet all game, limiting the visitors to just one hit while her six strikeouts were just one shy of tying her season-high.
Lesley took advantage of some faulty defense by the Eagles and broke a 0-0 tie with a five-run third inning. Golden led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch and came around immediately as Mercurio followed with an RBI double to right-centerfield. Mercurio scored one batter later on an error in the DWC infield before Mukai and junior Jodee Doka (Sacramento, Calif.) both crossed the plate on a sacrifice bunt by Nisbet. The Lynx capped the scoring in the inning when Fountain drilled a single to right field, scoring Nazzaro, who previously reached on the Eagles' fourth error of the inning.
Lesley added one in the fifth before scoring two in the sixth to close out the 8-0 victory.
Nisbet finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI in the win for the Lynx while Fountain went 3-for-4 with an RBI from atop the Lesley lineup. Golden, Mercurio, and Mukai all collected two hits. Mercurio drove in a pair and scored twice while Golden and Mukai each crossed the plate two times.
Sophomore Ashley England (Old Town, Maine) had the lone hit for the Eagles in the loss.