Newbury College Uses Seven-Run Eighth Inning to Top Softball, 10-6

BOSTON, Mass. – Elms College junior left fielder Kellie McLaughlin (Pittsfield, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs and the fourth-seeded Blazers battled back from a 3-0 deficit to force extra innings, but No. 3 Newbury College scored seven runs in the extra frame to help pace the Nighthawks to a 10-6 victory in Friday afternoon's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship tournament softball game.

With the loss, Elms is eliminated from NECC postseason action and concludes its season 11-21 overall. Newbury (20-18) will play 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

In the top of the first, Newbury scored twice using an RBI single from Michaela McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) that scored Sheri Liggiero (Tewksbury, Mass.) who connected for a one-out triple earlier in the frame. Amber Rapchun (Corona, Calif.) then drove in Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) who singled in the stanza to give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead.

Newbury added to its lead in the top of the second when Liggiero delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to lift the Nighthawks' advantage to 3-0.

Elms battled back in the bottom of the fourth scoring a pair of runs on an RBI single off the bat of sophomore shortstop Gina DiGiovanni (Springfield, Mass.) and a sacrifice fly to left field by sophomore designated player Gianna Gonyea (East Longmeadow, Mass.) to pull the Blazers to within one at 3-2.

Elms knotted the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior second baseman Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) cracked a one-out double to left center, advanced to third on a passed ball and then score on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of senior third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) to set the score at 3-3.

After a scoreless sixth and seventh innings, Newbury exploded for seven runs in the top of the eighth stanza highlighted by RBI singles from Alyssa Donovan (West Haven, Conn.), Liggiero and Rebecca Roach (Charlton, Mass.) and a three-run homer by McGowan to give the Nighthawks a 10-3 lead.

The Blazers rallied in the home half of the frame when senior catcher Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) singled in senior center fielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) who was placed on second to start the frame, and then later scored on a two-out single down the right field line by McLaughlin to set the score at 10-6. From there, Roach, who pitched the final 4.0 innings in relief, forced a fly out to end the game.

Roach (12-7) struck out three batters, while McGowan struck out a pair in 4.0 innings of work in the no decision.

Elms' sophomore reliever Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) suffered the loss pitching 6.0 innings. She allowed seven runs (four earned) and struck out four. Freshman Jamie Miner (Chicopee, Mass.) struck out three batters in 2.0 innings and allowed three runs.

Spring and Buckley each had two hits, while junior first baseman Ally Witaszek (Wilbraham, Mass.) was 3 for 4 with two runs scored.

Donovan was 4 for 5 while Liggiero, McGowan and Rapchun each had three hits in the winning effort for Newbury.