LEICESTER, Mass. – On a chilly Friday afternoon, both offenses were on fire, with game one coming down to the final inning while game two was all Becker from the start. The Eastern Nazarene Lions and Becker Hawks split a doubleheader in the first games of softball in the New England Collegiate Conference this season.
THE BASICS
April 2, 2021
Russell Field
Becker Hawks 5-5 (1-1 NECC)
Eastern Nazarene Lions 5-1 (1-1 NECC)
GAME ONE: Eastern Nazarene 8 – Becker 7
Tied entering the seventh inning, the Lions took the victory in game one with the help of a solo home run by freshman Alexys Giddings (Kuna, Idaho).
Giddings led off the top of the seventh in a 7-7 game with her first career collegiate home run, a shot to left-center field, which gave ENC the 8-7 lead.
The Lions were well in control of game one, leading 5-0, until the bottom of the fifth inning where the Hawks put up seven runs to take a 7-5 lead.
A two-run home run by junior Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn.) and a three-run home run by junior Emily Iacovelli (Northbridge, Mass.) contributed to the high-scoring fifth inning for Becker.
An RBI double by Lions junior Aurora Adams (Fullerton, Calif.) and a throwing error on the Hawks in the top of the sixth tied the game at 7-7.
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For Eastern Nazarene, Adams batted 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBI, and three runs scored. Sophomore Darcy Castro (Garden Grove, Calif.) was 1-for-4 with a double.
For Becker, Veillette and Iacovelli both batted 2-for-4, each hitting home runs. Senior Sarah Ellis (Berkley, Mass.) and junior Skyler Tenney (Jaffery, N.H.) also finished 2-for-4.
Winning Pitcher: Adriana Montuya (3-2)
Losing Pitcher: Sheree Fallon (0-1)
GAME TWO: Becker 12 – Eastern Nazarene 3 (Final/5 Innings)
The Hawks used big innings in the first, third, and fourth to close out game two with the nine-run victory.
In the first, an RBI double by sophomore Holly Letourneau (Woonsocket, R.I.), an RBI single by Iacovelli, and an RBI double by freshman Jillana Stevens (Farmington, N.H.) put Becker ahead 3-1.
Now to the third, another RBI double by Letourneau, a single by freshman Kayla Dell'Anno (Medford, Mass.) and an RBI double by junior Elizabeth Simonian (Auburn, Mass.) helped the Hawks add five runs to their score, as they took an 8-1 advantage.
In the fourth, back-to-back-to-back, solo home runs for Ellis, Letourneau, and Iacovelli pushed the lead to 11-1. Later in the inning, sophomore Lindsay Mitchell (Billerica, Mass.) scored on a passed ball to give Becker a 12-2 lead.
The Lions would add another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly, but the damage had been done by the Hawks as they took the 12-3 win.
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For Becker, Iacovelli and Letourneau both batted 3-for-3, Letourneau had three RBI and three runs scored while Iacovelli had two RBI and two runs scored.
For Eastern Nazarene, sophomore Taylor Brandt (Napa, Calif.) finished 2-for-3 with a double.
Winning Pitcher: Lindsay Mitchell (3-2)
Losing Pitcher: Keira Niestas (0-1)
