Box Score DUDLEY, Mass. (April 28) – A three-run home run by Taylor Fleming in the sixth inning was the difference maker as eighth-seeded Eastern Nazarene College upset fifth-seeded Nichols, 3-0, in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship play-in round. The Lions (15-22) advance to the double-elimination round to face fourth-seeded Roger Williams on Monday, while the Bison see their season end at 15-20.

The Lions had runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings, but Nichols pitcher Molly Ferraro ended each threat with a strikeout, Eastern Nazarene loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but an infield lineout and an interference play sent Eastern Nazarene down without a run.

Nichols, meanwhile, loaded the bases in the first after a one-out double from Amanda Broughton, but couldn't send a run across. In the third, Nichols put Emalee Watkins and Chelsea Correia in scoring position on a Kylie Langton sacrifice bunt, but ended the inning on an infield groundout.

Cayla Clinkscale and Hannah Moore led off the Lions' sixth with back-to-back singles through the left side before Olivia Tovar popped up a bunt to Ferraro for the first out. Samantha Losano pushed Clinkscale and Moore ahead with a sacrifice bunt before Fleming launched a two-out, three-run home run over the centerfield fence.

Eastern Nazarene pitcher Kori Sorensen sat Nichols down in order in the fifth and sixth, and got a pair of quick outs in the seventh before giving up a solid single through the middle to Savannah Thibault. Sorensen finished the game out with her sixth strikeout of the day. She allowed just three Bison hits on the day and walked three to improve to 12-8 with her eighth shutout win.

Ferraro surrendered eight hits, walked three and fanned four, but the Bison defense stranded 11 Lions runners on base. She finishes the year at 12-12.

Eastern Nazarene will take on Roger Williams at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the double-elimination round at top seed Salve Regina in Newport, R.I.


Box Score