Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BIDDEFORD, Maine (April 24) -- The University of New England and Nichols College finished the Commonwealth Coast Conference regular-season by splitting a softball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Claude Dubois Field. The Bison overcame an early five-run deficit in the opener to win 10-7 in extra innings, before the Nor'easters took the nightcap in five frames, 9-1.

Big Blue (21-11) moves to 13-5 in league play and will enter the CCC Championship as the third seed. At 10-8 in conference outings, the Bison (15-19) will enter the postseason tournament as the fifth seed. The official release of the tourney bracket and pairings will come out Wednesday evening.

The Nor'easters used five runs in the bottom of the 5th inning to claim game two, capped by a two-run double to left by junior Casey Brigham that scored sophomores Kirstyn Tracey and Lauren Rousseau from first and second. Sophomore Jessica Potter and first-year Adrienne Chase started the stanza with infield hits -- the second for each in the contest.

An RBI-single by UNE senior Maegen Johnson put the hosts on the board in the last half of the 2nd, and Big Blue added three more in the 3rd to go up 4-0. Potter laced a two-out double to center that knocked in classmate Amanda Vaudreuil, and Chase followed with a triple to the gap in right-center. Chase also scored on the play as a result of a throwing error.

Nichols sophomore Emalee Watkins, who reached with a lead-off single to left in the 4th, tallied the lone run for the Bison later in the inning on a wild pitch.

UNE first-year pitcher Kelly Reid improved to 11-4 on the year with the win in the circle, striking out two and walking none while allowing seven hits.

The visitors received two hits from sophomore Amanda Broughton, and senior starter Molly Ferraro (Millis, Mass.) took the pitching setback in 2.2 innings of work.

The Nor'easters started quick in game one, as nine batters saw action to plate five runs in the bottom of the 1st -- all with two outs. UNE first-year Gabrielle LaRoche got things going with an RBI single that scored senior Ashley Gott. Vaudreuil stepped to the plate next, and launched a two-run shot over the fence in left. The inning continued with hits by junior Megan Gauger and Johnson, and both scored shortly after to make it 5-0.

Ferraro put Nichols on the board in the 2nd with an RBI-ground out, scoring senior Chelsea Correia.

The Bison moved closer (5-4) with three more in the 3rd. First-year Rachel Dalrymple began the inning with an infield single, but remained at first base after two strikeouts. Watkins and Chelsea Correia both singled the left to progress the inning, and a fielding error on Correia's play allowed Dalrymple to score. Watkins came in on a wild pitch, and Correia crossed the plate as the next batter, senior Kylie Langton, singled through the right side.

Broughton tied the game at five-all with an RBI-single to center in the 4th, plating Dalrymple. The right fielder was also responsible for giving Nichols a 6-5 edge in the top of the 6th with another RBI-single.

Down to its final two outs of regulation, UNE stayed alive as Vaudreuil notched her second home run of the game over the fence in left-center.

Nichols took advantage of two Big Blue errors in the top of the 8th and added in three hits to register four runs and gain a 10-6 cushion. After an RBI-single by senior Savannah Thibault, Watkins soon followed to drive in a pair on a single up the middle. A ground out by Chelsea Correia scored the fourth run of the frame.

With UNE's first two batters out in the bottom of the inning, and a wild pitch that moved Johnson -- who had been placed on second base -- to third, Gott beat out an infield single to draw the hosts to within three (10-7). The Nor'easters put two runners on to bring the tying run to the plate, but a force play at third ended the threat.

Ferraro struck out four in the complete-game effort, surrendering 13 hits and three walks. Broughton and Watkins each went 3-for-5 in the outing, and both had two RBI. Thibault, Correia, Langton, and Dalrymple posted two hits apiece for Nichols, which totaled 15 in the outing. Dalrymple also scored three times.

Gott and Vaudreuil finished 3-for-4 on the Nor'easters' side of things, and Potter added two hits. Reid took the loss in one inning of relief, giving up one earned run in the 8th. Senior Julie Bigelow (Montpelier, Vt.) was tagged for three earned runs over the initial seven frames, and fanned three batters in the no-decision.

Big Blue wraps up the regular-season with a non-conference twinbill against Bowdoin College on Thursday (3:30 p.m.), and are slated to begin CCC tournament action next Tuesday (May 1). The Bison host a championship play-in game on Saturday at a time to be determined.


Story courtesy University of New England Sports Information

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score