BEVERLY, Mass. — The Conference of New England Softball Championship bracket shifted dramatically Thursday as No. 5 Hartford eliminated No. 3 Johnson & Wales in a 15-14 slugfest after falling earlier in the day to top-seeded Endicott, setting up a pivotal Friday slate featuring No. 2 Roger Williams against No. 1 Endicott in the winner's bracket semifinal and Hartford facing elimination once again in the lower half of the bracket.
Roger Williams advanced Thursday afternoon with a tightly contested 2-1 victory over Johnson & Wales behind another dominant performance from Raegen Germano (Old Tappan, N.J.), who struck out nine over a complete-game five-hitter while allowing just one unearned run. The game remained scoreless into the sixth inning before Hailey Williams (Vernon, Conn.) delivered the defining swing of the afternoon, launching a two-run homer to left-center that scored Grace Forsythe (Woburn, Mass.) and provided the difference. Williams accounted for half of the Hawks' hits in the victory, while Kayleigh O'Connor (Pembroke, Mass.) and Madison Tucholski (Rehoboth, Mass.) added extra baserunners in support.
The win pushed Roger Williams to 25-13 overall and further reinforced the formula that has made the Hawks one of the conference's most complete teams throughout the season: elite pitching, timely offense, and top-level defense. RWU continues to lead the CNE in ERA (2.59) and fielding percentage (.973), while ranking third offensively with a .317 team batting average. Entering Friday, the Hawks still feature multiple players among the conference leaders, including Shannon Starratt (Lake George, N.Y.), who ranks 4th in batting average (.417) and 3rd in OPS (1.217), along with Williams (.372), McKenzie Foley (Hanover, Mass.) (.361), and Lucy Maurao (Holliston, Mass.) (.348). In the circle, Germano (2.51 ERA), Natalie Lundari (Flemington, N.J.) (2.58 ERA), and Keira Quadros (East Providence, R.I.) (2.66 ERA) remain the only trio in the conference with all three pitchers ranked inside the top five in ERA.
Friday's matchup now turns to Endicott, which advanced through the upper bracket after defeating Hartford 4-2 Thursday morning. The Gulls used eight hits and another strong pitching effort from Kristen Beebe and conference ERA leader Analise Grady to secure the win. Kylyn McLaren homered while Maddie Beeley and Ella Tower each drove in runs as Endicott improved to 23-12 overall.
The season series between Roger Williams and Endicott has favored the Gulls, who swept the Hawks during the regular season and established themselves as the lone team to consistently contain RWU's lineup. Combined with both programs ranking first and second in conference ERA and fielding percentage, Friday's matchup projects as one centered around pitching depth and defensive execution rather than offensive explosiveness.
Statistically, the matchup presents two of the conference's most balanced rosters. Endicott enters ranking second in both team batting average (.320) and ERA (2.82), while also sitting third in fielding percentage (.961). Abby McClaflin (.429) and Kylyn McLaren (.409) continue to lead the Gulls offensively, while Grady's conference-leading 1.83 ERA remains the top individual pitching mark in the CNE.
Meanwhile, Hartford kept its season alive in dramatic fashion Thursday afternoon, outlasting Johnson & Wales 15-14 in one of the highest-scoring games of the tournament. The Hawks erased multiple deficits behind huge offensive performances from Alyssa Edwards, who blasted three home runs and drove in five, Adelie Beebe, who finished with four RBIs including a walk-off three-run homer in the seventh inning, and Gia Miccio, who collected three hits and scored three times. Hartford's victory eliminated one of the most dangerous offenses in the conference despite another explosive performance from Johnson & Wales stars Mady Lyons, Ashley Bergeron, and Morgan Pelletier.
