Softball Notches Double Header Split with Newbury College

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Elms College softball team played to a double header split with Newbury College on Monday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action. The Nighthawks posted a 2-1 win in game one, before the Blazers responded with a 5-1 victory in game two.

With the split, Elms concludes regular season action 12-15 overall, 10-8 in NECC play and garners the fifth seed in the NECC Championship tournament. Newbury concludes its regular season 15-17 overall, 11-7 in league play and secured the fourth seed in the NECC Championship tournament. The Nighthawks will host the Blazers on Wednesday, April 30 in NECC Championship First Round action.

Game One: Newbury 2, Elms 1

After four shutout frames, Elms broke the scoreless deadlock when sophomore catcher Kierstan Skinner (South Windsor, Conn.) doubled in freshman left fielder Kylen O'Hearn (Somers, Conn.) in the top of the fifth to give the Blazers a 1-0 edge.

Newbury responded with single runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings as Sheri Liggiero (Tewksbury, Mass.) scored on a passed ball to even the score, before Katie Haney (Winchendon, Mass.) scored on an error in the bottom of the seventh to give the Nighthawks a dramatic win.

Elms' junior Beth Grimes (Terryville, Conn.) was terrific in defeat allowing just two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out seven in 6.1 innings.

Newbury pitcher Olivia Kenyon (Canton, Mass.) was equally impressive allowing one run on four hits while fanning four hitters.

Grimes and Kierstan Skinner each had two hits in the losing effort for the Blazers.

Game Two: Elms 5, Newbury 1

In game two, Grimes and Kenyon exchanged RBI singles in the first frame before the teams continued to duel in the pitchers circle. Kenyon and Blazers' junior Jessica Colson (Agawam, Mass.) combined to pitch five scoreless innings before Elms broke the game open in the top of the seventh stanza.

Elms crossed the dish four times in the top of the seventh on the strength of an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of senior third baseman Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.), an RBI ground-rule double by Grimes, and run-scoring singles from O'Hearn and senior first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) to set the score at 5-1.

Colson then closed out the victory with a strikeout and two groundouts and finished with eight punch-outs to improve to 5-8 in the circle. Kenyon fanned six batters and suffered the loss for Newbury.

Grimes, Kierstan Skinner, O'Hearn and Witaszek each connected for two hits in the winning effort, while Grimes drove in a pair of runs and Kierstan Skinner scored twice.

Liggiero collected the Nighthawks' lone extra-base hit, a double, while Colson limited Newbury to just five hits.