GAME TWO (Elimination Game): Becker 9 - New England 7

REVERE, Mass. – The Becker Hawks softball season is still alive following a 9-7 victory over the New England College Pilgrims on Friday evening in an elimination game in the New England Collegiate Conference Tournament. 

THE BASICS

May 7, 2021

Griswold Park

Score: Becker 9 – New England 7 (NECC Loser's Bracket – Elimination Game)

No. 4 Becker Hawks 13-15

No. 3 NEC Pilgrims 15-9

GAME SUMMARY

Tied 4-4 heading to the top of the fifth, the Hawks took control of the game with two runs to take a 6-4 advantage.

With runners on second and third, freshman Kayla Dell'Anno (Medford, Mass.) hit an infield single that scored a run to give Becker a 3-2 lead. A Pilgrims error later in the inning allowed another run to score, giving the Hawks a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the six, the Hawks added to that lead thanks to a pair of home runs, with what turned out to be important insurance runs by the end of the game.

Junior Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn.) led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run over the center field fence to give the Hawks a 7-4 lead.

After a single by senior Sarah Ellis (Berkley, Mass.), Hawks sophomore Holly Letourneau (Woonsocket, R.I.) stepped in a provided a two-run home run to left field, giving the Hawks a 9-4 edge.

NEC was poised to make a comeback, answering the home runs in the top of the inning with a three-run home run in the bottom of the inning by senior Taylor Barbour (Bay Shore, N.Y.), as the Pilgrims cut the deficit to 9-7.

The Hawks with Veillette in the circle held off the Pilgrims in the bottom of the seventh with a groundout, a flyout, and a pop out ending the game, allowing the Hawks to advance to Saturday's play.

FOR THE HAWKS

• Veillette batted 1-for-3 with her seventh home run of the season. Letourneau finished 2-for-4, including her team-leading eighth home run of the year.
• Ellis, Dell'Anno, and freshman Jillana Stevens (Farmington, N.H.) all finished with three hits in the game.
• Veillette pitched a complete game, allowing seven runs, six earned on 11 hits and two strikeouts.
• The Hawks combined for 17 hits as a team, a new season-high for the Hawks.

FOR THE PILGRIMS

• Senior Destiny Helmedach (Middlefield, Conn.) batted 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
• Barbour was 1-for-1 with her first home run of the season.
• Senior Emily Farone (Sandown, N.H.) pitched a complete game, allowing nine runs, eight earned with 17 hits allowed and two strikeouts.

UP NEXT

The Hawks advance to Saturday's play and will face the loser of the No. 1 ENC Lions and No. 2 Lesley Lynx in an elimination game at approximately 4:30 p.m. tomorrow at Mitchell-McCoy Stadium. The Pilgrims have been eliminated from the NECC Postseason after losing two games this afternoon.

GAME ONE: Eastern Nazarene 8 - Becker 2

REVERE, Mass. – Three-run first and third innings for the Eastern Nazarene Lions provided plenty of insurance as the top-seed in the New England Collegiate Conference Softball Tournament advances in the winner's bracket thanks to their 8-2 win on Friday afternoon against the Becker Hawks.

THE BASICS

May 7, 2021

Griswold Park

Score: Eastern Nazarene 8 – Becker 2 (NECC Double-Elimination Tournament)

No. 4 Becker Hawks 12-15

No. 1 ENC Lions 22-5

GAME SUMMARY

The Lions were out to a quick lead thanks to three-run innings in the bottom of the first and third, jumping out to a 6-0 lead.

In the bottom of the first, ENC got on the board with an RBI double sophomore Darcy Castro (Garden Grove, Calif.) to go up 1-0. Lions junior Aurora Adams (Fullerton, Calif.) was next to the plate and she delivered a two-run home run to center field, giving the Lions a 3-0 lead.

That advantage doubled to 6-0 in the third inning, starting with a two-run home run to left-center field by Lions sophomore Taylor Brandt (Napa, Calif.) and ending with an RBI single by freshman Jennelle Munoz (Lake Elsinore, Calif.).

The Hawks struck back in the top of the fourth thanks to a pair of RBI singles by freshman Kayla Dell'Anno (Medford, Mass.) and junior Elizabeth Simonian (Auburn, Mass.) as Becker cut the deficit to 6-2.

The Lions added one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings thanks to a Hawks error and a sacrifice fly by Castro, as the Lions advance in the winner's bracket with an 8-2 victory.

FOR THE HAWKS

• Simonian and freshman Jillana Stevens (Farmington, N.H.) both finished 2-for-3. Simonian had an RBI while Stevens had a run scored.
• Senior Sarah Ellis (Berkley, Mass.) batted 2-for-4 with a double.
• Junior pitcher Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn.) pitched all six innings, allowing eight runs, five earned with nine hits and five strikeouts.

FOR THE LIONS

• Castro and Munoz were both 2-for-3 on the day. Castro added two RBI and a run scored.
• Adams and sophomore Alex Schwenger (Danville, Calif.) were 2-for-4. Adams had two RBI thanks to her eighth home run of the season.