BIDDEFORD, Maine – The Roger Williams University Softball team had its regular season end with a pair of losses to the University of New England, as the Nor'Easters topped Roger Williams University by scores of 3-1 and 5-2, in The Commonwealth Coast Conference softball action Wednesday afternoon at Claude Dubois Field.
Bringing an end to a five-game skid, the Nor'easters (25-15) conclude conference play at 17-7 and have secured a spot in the double-elimination phase of the upcoming TCCC Championship. The Hawks (17-22) slip to 15-9 in league games after five straight wins, and will host Salve Regina University in the play-in phase when the tournament begins on Monday.
UNE jumped in front early in game one with three runs in the bottom of the first. An RBI double from sophomore Erin Grover (Biddeford, Maine) scored junior Ashley Gott (Winterport, Maine) from second made it 1-0, and both Grover and classmate Megan Gauger (South Paris, Maine) came in on Vaudreuil's 2-RBI single to left to up the margin to three.
That would be all the scoring that Big Blue senior pitcher Amber Zablowsky (Rochester, Mass.) would need to improve to 8-0 in TCCC outings, as she worked into the sixth and gave up zero earned runs and six hits. Junior Erin Lyon (Salem, N.H.) worked the final two innings to register the save.
Roger Williams did get one across in the top of the sixth to break-up the shutout on a one-out, bases-loaded RBI single to right-center from junior Natasha Stone (Harrison, N.Y.). The Hawks threatened inch closer in the frame, but an inning-ending double play preserved the UNE lead. For the game, RWU stranded 10 runners on base.
Gott went 3-for-3 in the contest, while Vaudreuil and sophomore Casey Brigham (New London, Conn.) each had two hits.
Hawks junior Jaclyn Doolin (Miller Place, N.Y.) took the loss while striking out five. Senior Sarah Grill (Watervliet, N.Y.) tallied two hits in the game.
In the nightcap, a combined total of 17 batters came to the plate in the first inning as two runs went to the visitors and the hosts responded with four in the bottom of the stanza. With already one run in, sophomore pitcher Kelly Marcin (Windsor Locks, Conn.) hit an RBI single to right to score junior Hannah Pirez (Bolton, Mass.) and make it 2-0. A single followed to load the bases, but the Hawks could not get any more.
The Nor'easters bounced right back, scoring all four of their runs with two out in the inning. Again it was Vaudreuil who did the major damage on a 2-RBI double to the fence in left, plating Grover and Gauger to go up, 3-2. Senior Stephanie Podolski (Coventry, Conn.) scored Vaudreuil on the next play with a single through the left side.
UNE pitching limited its opponent to just three hits the rest of the way. Lyons went two innings to start, before junior Julie Bigelow (Montpelier, Vt.) finished off the final five innings to earn the win.
Gott drove in the final score for Big Blue in the fourth, lofting a sacrifice fly to right that allowed junior Maegen Johnson (Standish, Maine) to come in for the second time in the game.
Grover and Podolski recorded two hits apiece to help the Nor'easters' offense. Pirez paced RWU with two base hits in the contest.
- Release courtesy of the University of New England Sports Information Department
