BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.) and junior Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass.) each had three hits as the Lesley University Lynx defeated the Elms College Blazers, 9-4, in game four of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship today on the campus of UMass. – Boston.

Freshman Jordan Thomas (Fitchburg, Mass.) earned the victory in the complete-game effort, giving up ten hits, four runs (one earned), and striking out one.

Lesley got on the board first, scoring two in the first and built a 7-0 lead by scoring five in the third before the Blazers scored four unanswered runs to cut the lead to 7-4. Lesley added two more insurance runs in the sixth before closing out the 9-4 victory.

Freshman outfielder Taylor Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.) led the Blazer offense with three hits, a run scored, and an RBI while sophomore Gianna Gonyea (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and senior Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) each picked up two hits.

Lesley will play the winner of game 5, #3 Newbury College vs. #2 Becker College, while Elms will play the loser of that game in the double-elimination tournament.