WESTON, Mass. – The top-ranked Lesley University Lynx claimed their sixth straight New England Collegiate Conference Softball Championship title this afternoon with a 4-2 win over third-seeded Mitchell College on the campus of Regis College. The Lynx went a perfect 3-0 in the two-day tournament and earn the NECC automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship for the fourth straight season.
Lesley freshman Alyson Nisbet (Clovis, Calif.) threw a complete-game, allowing just seven hits, two runs (one earned), and striking out eight to clinch the victory. Nisbet was remarkably efficient as she walked just one and threw 76 of her 102 pitches for strikes.
Lynx senior Sarah Apgar (Andover, N.J.) powered the offense with a two-run home run while sophomore Angela Mukai (Amherst, N.H.) finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Senior Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass.) also finished with two hits while classmate Maria Nazzaro (North Reading, Mass.) picked up an RBI.
Mitchell freshman Samantha Ryan (Quaker Hill, Conn.) finished 2-for-3 with a double while junior Lindsey Romagnino (Totowa, N.J.) went 1-for-3 with an RBI in the loss.
The Lynx opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning when Mercurio sent a double to deep left field, allowing freshman Mekenzi Golden (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) to score all the way from first.
Mitchell would answer right back in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Rivkah Berkman (New London, Conn.) led off the inning with a walk before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch. Berkman would then tie the game when she crossed the dish following an RBI double by Romagnino.
Mukai led off the top of the second with a single to center and moved to second on a pass ball. With one out in the inning, Apgar belted her first home run of the season over the left-centerfield fence to give the Lynx a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
Lesley would add another run in the top of the fourth as Mukai crossed the plate for the second time in the game as Nazzaro singled her home with an opposite field single to left.
The Mariners would cut into the Lynx lead in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Alexandra Blanchette (Taftville, Conn.) started the inning with a single to left and scored all the way from first on a Jenny Groman (New Britain, Conn.) single that was misplayed in the Lynx outfield. Groman would advance to third on the play.
Mitchell would see their rally come to an abrupt end when Nisbet forced a pop-up into foul ground and Lynx catcher, Allison Fountain, doubled-up the runner at third base to escape the jam.
Nisbet would retire the side down in order in the sixth and seventh to seal the 4-2 win for the Lynx.
Following the game, Sarah Apgar was named NECC Tournament MVP. The senior finished the weekend going 5-for-10 with three RBI, two doubles, and a home run to lead the Lynx. Joining her on the team from Lesley was classmate Allison Fountain and freshman Alyson Nisbet.
Samantha Ryan, Brittany Fiederlein, and Shannon O'Neil were named to the team from Mitchell College.
Representing Regis was sophomore Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) and Alyssa McKinnon (Raynham, Mass.) while Alyssa Donovan (West Haven, Conn.) and Olivia Kenyon (Canton, Mass.) were honored from Newbury.
2014 NECC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Sarah Apgar, Lesley University – Tournament MVP
Allison Fountain, Lesley University
Alyson Nisbet, Lesley University
Brittany Fiederlein, Mitchell College
Shannon O'Neil, Mitchell College
Samantha Ryan, Mitchell College
Katie Cuozzo, Regis College
Alyssa McKinnon, Regis
Alyssa Donovan, Newbury
Olivia Kenton, Newbury
Game 8: Mitchell 4, Regis 0
In the first game of the day, Mitchell knocked out Regis College and advanced to the NECC Championship with a 4-0 win over the Pride. Fiederlein earned the win, hurling seven innings of shutout ball, limiting the Pride offense to just eight hits while striking out one.
Regis starter Katie Cuozzo (Lynn, Mass.) also went the distance, giving up just three hits, four runs (1 earned), striking out three and walking none. The Pride defense struggled as they were charged with five errors on the afternoon.
The Mariners took advantage of one of those errors in the top of the first inning when a Shannon O'Neil (Chicopee, Mass.) single through the right side scored Lindsey Romagnino (Totowa, N.J.), who reached on a fielder's choice before advancing into scoring position on a throwing error in the Pride infield.
The run would prove to be all Fiederlein would need, but the Mariners struck for two more in the top of the second when Alexandra Blanchette (Taftville, Conn.) singled home Samantha Ryan (Quaker Hill, Conn.) and then came around one batter later on another Regis error.
After Mitchell tacked on a final insurance run in the fifth inning, Regis found themselves with their best chance of the day in the bottom of the sixth. Jenna Casello (Westborough, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and moved to second a sacrifice-bunt by Rachel DesRochers (Westford, Mass.). Following a pop-up in the infield for the second out of the inning, Casello would move to third base when Alyssa McKinnon (Raynham, Mass.) sent a single through the right side, but Fiederlein would escape the inning unscathed as she got the final out of the inning with a fly out to left field.
Blanchette finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI while O'Neil also picked up an RBI with a 1-for-3 effort at the dish.