BRISTOL, R.I. – A thrilling come-from-behind win was followed by a tough loss for the Roger Williams University Softball team, as the Hawks split its final regular season doubleheader by the scores 6-5 and 5-0.

 

A couple of miscues by the Nor'Easters helped give Roger Williams an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jen Lyford (Raynham, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch and Michelle Caprice (Oak Ridge, N.J.), who reached on a throwing error, came in on a passed ball. The Nor'Easters came right back with three runs in the second, getting RBI hits from Rachel Boutin (Winslow, Maine), Lisa Baillargeon (Berlin, N.H.), and Lauren Webb (Jericho, Vt.).

 

The Hawks regained the lead in the third inning. Christine Bean (Southampton, Mass.) and Lyford led off the inning with a pair of singles. LeEllen Lewis (Brunswick, Md.) would bring home the duo on a two-RBI double. Yet the advantage would not last long, as Katie Morin's (Lewiston, Maine) two-RBI double put the University of New England back on top by a scant 5-4 margin.

 

The Nor'Easters' lead held up until the bottom of the seventh when Sarah Grill (Watervliet, N.Y.) reached on a mishandled ball at short. Renee Bilotti (Bristol, R.I.), who came in to pinch run, came in on the next at-bat when Bean tripled to right field. The throw from right came in time to get Bilotti, but the ball trickled away from the catcher as Bilotti bowled her over to score the tying run. Lewis came through for the Hawks two batters later, shooting the ball through the right side to score Bilotti from third for the game-winning run.

 

Stephanie Collins (Burlington, Mass.) picked up the win, pitching 3.1 innings of scoreless relief for Alexandra Sera (Newton, Mass.), who was tagged for all five Nor'Easter runs in 3.1 innings. Sarah Hamel suffered the loss, allowing six runs in 6.2 innings, only two of which were earned.

 

Lewis finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Bean went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sarah Hamel (Rochester, N.H.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Morin finish 1-for-4 with two RBI.

 

Megan Gaedje opened the second game of the doubleheader with a two-out home run to left field, putting the Hawks in an early 1-0 deficit.  From that point on, neither team's offense could get a run across. Jess Silvio (Beverly, Mass.) held the Hawks to only three innings in four innings of work before being relieved by Amber Zablowsky (Rochester, Mass.) Andrea Gregory (Toms River, N.J.) bared down after the homer, holding the Nor'Easter offense scoreless over the next five innings.

 

The game got away from the Hawks in the seventh, when Webb and Gaedje hit back-to-back singles with one out, chasing Gregory from the game. Collins then came in to pitch and walked Morin to load the bases. Next up for the Nor'Easters was Hamel, who gave New England a five-run cushion with a grand slam to right field. Zablowsky retired the Hawks' side in order in the bottom of the inning to pick up the save.

 

Silvio earned her third win of the year with Zablowsky getting her second save of the season in the combined shutout. Gregory falls to 9-7, getting charged with three runs in 6.1 innings.

 

Gregory, Bean, Callie Nealon (Hopkinton, Mass.), and Samantha Teves (Somerset, Mass.) each got a hit for the Hawks. Hamel finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with a run and four RBI on the grand slam.

 

Roger Williams finishes the regular season with a 19-21 overall record and 13-11 in the TCCC. The Hawks have clinched a berth in the TCCC Tournament and will likely earn the #7 seed and face Salve Regina University Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. University of New England finishes 17-7 in the conference and 22-12 overall. The Nor'easters will enter the TCCC Tournament as the #4 seed and take on top-seeded Endicott Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.