MANSFIELD, CT – The Eastern Connecticut State University softball team won the NCAA Willimantic Super Regional over Rowan University, 3-2 on Saturday.
The Warriors (34-11) advance to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament that is scheduled for Thursday-Tuesday, May 23-28 at Suddenlink Field in Tyler, TX. Eastern Connecticut also had a 2-1 victory against Rowan on Friday in the best of three games series.
Right-hander Morgan Bolduk (so. Vernon, CT/Rockville) was the winning pitcher (20-1) and she also drove in the tying and winning runs and scored one run. In the bottom of the sixth, she hit a single to left field, scoring pinch runner Kayla Santos (sr. Peabody, MA/Peabody Veterans Mem.) and designated player Laura Zenk (fr. Hermon, ME/Hermon).
Right fielder Alexis Tyrrell (so. Torrington, CT/Torrington) contributed with two hits and a double. Third baseman Julia San Giovanni (fr. East Haven, CT/East Haven) produced one hit and shortstop Sara Pisanelli (jr. Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) had a RBI.
For the Profs (33-15), left fielder
Morgan Zane (fr. Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick) totaled two hits, a home run and two RBIs. Shortstop
Carly Anderson (sr. Nutley, NJ/Nutley) recorded a double. Designated player
Kelly Duffy (so. Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Mem.), catcher
Christina Guarino (so. West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) and first baseman
Mackenzie Short (jr. Denton, MD/North Caroline) all had one hit.
Rowan took the lead 2-1 in the top of the sixth. With one out, Duffy singled to center field and was replaced by pinch runner
Rebecca Lombardo (so. New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt). Zane followed with her sixth home run on the season. The Warriors scored one run in the first inning. Pisanelli reached base on a fielder's choice and Bolduk was safe at home.
Rowan advanced to the Super Regional with a 7-6 win in 14 innings over Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the final of the Cambridge Regional. The Profs defeated Eastern Nazarene College, 3-2 in the opening round and MIT, 1-0 in 10 innings in the second. MIT had a 5-3 win over Rowan to force the if necessary game.
Rowan was an at-large selection to the national tournament. It was the Profs' 27
thappearance and ninth straight in the NCAA postseason.
Willimantic, CT Super Regional Schedule
Friday, May 17
Game 1: Eastern Connecticut State University 2, Rowan University 1
Saturday, May 11
Game 2: Eastern Connecticut State University 3, Rowan University 2
(Eastern Connecticut advances to the NCAA Championship Tournament in Tyler, TX)
