WESTON, Mass. – Newbury College outlasted Lesley University in a pair of back-and-forth New England Collegiate Conference battles this evening on the campus of Regis College. The Nighthawks claimed a 5-3 victory in the opener before coming from behind to plate two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to walk-off with an 11-10 win in the nightcap.
The Lynx drop to 17-13 on the year and 11-3 in NECC contests while the Nighthawks improve to 16-11-1 overall and 12-4 in the conference standings.
Both sides will return to NECC action on Saturday as the Lynx will travel to Elms College for a pair at 12:00p while the Nighthawks will hit the road for a doubleheader with Daniel Webster College at 11:00a.
Game One: Lesley 3, Newbury 5
Box Score
Trailing 2-0 after two innings, Lesley freshman Abby Henderson (Rochester, N.H.) would put the guests on the board and give them a 3-2 lead with a three-run home run. Henderson's deep fly was her team-leading eighth of the season, bringing her within one of the Lesley single-season record.
The lead would not last long, however, as the Nighthawks pushed one across in the bottom of the inning as senior Sheri Liggiero (Tewksbury, Mass.) scored on a ground ball by freshman Alexis Vieira (Pawtucket, R.I.) to even the score at 3-3. Newbury would push across two more in the fourth when senior Alyssa Donovan (West Haven, Conn.) laced a run-scoring triple down the right field line before scoring on a Liggiero sacrifice-fly as the Nighthawks reclaimed a two-run edge, 5-3.
The Lynx would threaten in the top of the fifth as sophomore Courtney Goggin (Cheshire, Conn.) smacked a two-out double to left, but Nighthawks starter Alina Milauskas (Elkridge, Md.) got out of the jam with a pop-out in the infield.
Newbury sophomore Alexa Mummery (Rochester, N.Y.) relieved Milauskas in the seventh to earn her second save of the season.
Game Two: Lesley 10, Newbury 11 (Final – 8 Innings)
Box Score
The nightcap was a slugfest as the two sides combined for 21 runs on 23 hits. Lynx senior Selena Quezada (West Covina, Calif.) opened up the scoring in a four-run first as she scampered home on a wild pitch to stake the visitors with an early lead. Later in the inning, Goggin would drive in a run with a double to left before freshman Jordan Raab (Rochester, N.H.) followed with a two-run single to put the Lynx up 4-0.
Newbury would punch right back in the bottom half and tie the score with four runs of their own before Lesley would jump ahead once again with a pair in the top of the second. Sophomore Theresa Pereira (Hopedale, Mass.) led off the second with a walk, promptly stole second, and scored on an error in the Newbury outfield before Henderson would drive in junior Carlyn Barker (Temecula, Calif.) to make it 6-4.
The Lynx would use a two-run long-ball by junior Mekenzi Golden (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) in the top of the fourth to double their lead to 8-4. The blast was Golden fourth in as many series and her sixth of the season.
The Nighthawks would answer once again in the bottom of the inning and a two-run triple to center off the bat of Donovan ignited a five-run fourth to put the hosts back up by one. Liggiero would follow with an RBI double to left before freshman Noelle Sass (Randolph, Mass.) blasted a two-run home run of her to give Newbury a 9-8 edge.
The score would remain the same until the top of the seventh when Thayer would connect for a clutch solo round-tripper, her first of the season, to knot the score at 9-9 and send the game into extras.
In the extra inning, Lynx freshman Stephanie Schofield (Redwood City, Calif.) would come around on an error in the Nighthawks infield in the top of the tenth and put Lesley up 10-9. Newbury would not go away, however, and a bunt single by senior Elizabeth Fox (Orono, Maine) pushed across a run before Liggiero, who finished with four hits in the game, ended the game with a run-scoring double as the hosts completed the doubleheader sweep.