Lynx Win NECC Softball Championship!

Posted: May 08, 2022

GAME OVERVIEW:

REVERE, MA. – The Lesley Lynx Softball team took down the top-seeded Eastern Nazarene Lions 7-6, beating them for the second day in a row, to win the 2022 NECC Softball Championship. They went a perfect 3-0, entering the winner's bracket on day one and only needing the minimum three games to take home the title.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:

Eastern Nazarene got the game's first run in the top of the first inning. Taylor Brandt singled to right and stole second with Aurora Adams at the plate to set Adams up for an RBI double. The Lynx got the run back and tied the game at one on an RBI double by Ilanza Zack that scored Jordan Day.
After two scoreless innings, the Lynx broke the tie. With two outs, Tara Eldredge sent a single into right field. Running on contact with Mahlia Medina at the plate, Edlredge was able to score from first on a single by Medina and error by Brandt in left field.
The Lynx added some insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning that would prove very necessary by game's end. The first four batters in the inning reached for Lesley, starting with Day drawing a walk and Zack sending her home with her first home run of the season. Following Zack's clutch homer, Antonia Kieran and Jess O'Neill singled and each moved up another base on a groundout by Holly Swinamer. Lindsey Jensen was able to reach on a ball to deep short and Kieran came in to score the Lynx's third run of the inning.
Lesley held a five run lead going into the final two innings, but ENC was not done yet. Brandt singled again to lead off the inning and Adams drove her in again, this time with a two-run home run. The Lynx got the runs back in the bottom of the inning, with Megan Murphy being hit by a pitch to start things and Day following her with a two-run homer of her own, her tenth of the season.
Day ran into some trouble on the mound in the top of the seventh inning, allowing ENC to make a valiant comeback effort. Day allowed two hits and struck out two batters to start the inning, leaving Brandt, Bailey Olaveson, and Adams with opportunities to get back in the game. Each of them put up an RBI single to pull the Lions back within a run. With the score 7-6 and runners on first and third, Day was able to induce a groundout by Kiley Ozaki to end the game and earn the Lynx their first conference title since 2017.
Day got the win, allowing six earned runs over seven innings and striking out ten Lions. Jenelle Munoz took the loss, her second to the Lynx in as many days, allowing seven runs over six innings. Every member of the Lynx lineup reached base in this one, with Day and Zack each recording three hits. Zack had three runs batted in, while Day had two and Jensen had one. Brandt and Adams were the bulk of the offense for ENC, each recording three hits with Adams driving in four runs.
Day was named tournament MVP, with Jensen and Zack joining her in representing Lesley on the All-Tournament team.