DePolito's team advances in ECACs

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University senior outfielder Sara Nelson (Bristol, Conn.) and freshman designated player Nikki Bukovsky (Westport, Conn.) had two-out, two-run doubles in the first and second innings, respectively, as the Seahawks rallied from an early deficit for a 9-6 win over Castleton State College during first-round action of the ECAC New England Softball Championships at Toppa Field.

The Spartans (16-16) scored three runs in the first before an out was made. Sophomore Kristi Lawless (Ft. Montgomery, N.Y.) and senior Tori Fearon (Colchester, Conn.) reached on infield singles before an error loaded the bases. Sophomore Brittany Brayman (Hartford, N.Y.) singled to center and junior Stephanie Sylvester (Swanton, Vt.) singled to left to drive in the first two runs for Castleton. Chelsea Grady (Western Springs, Ill.) drew a full-count walk to make it a 3-0 score with nobody out in the first and the bases still loaded.

Seahawk starter Nicole Parry (Quincy, Mass.) remained unphased as she induced a fielder's choice grounder on the seventh batter of the inning and shortstop Marissa Simpson (Brimfield, Mass.) fired home to Genevieve Benoit (Swampscott, Mass.) to force the first out at the plate.

After a strikeout, Ruby Bushey's would-be single up the middle was intercepted by a diving Jenna Edine (Warwick, R.I.) and the Seahawk senior second baseman continued with her dive to tag the bag for the final force out.

Parry's pitching counterpart, Kayla Wood (Dummerston, Vt.), ran into trouble right away by walking the first two batters she faced - freshmen Lexi Soucie (No. Easton, Mass.) and Bukovsky. Edine sacrificed the runners to second and third before Kara O'Riley (Acton, Mass.) lined softly to third. With two outs, Nelson delivered her first key hit with a two-run double to left field for Salve Regina (21-17).

Parry had 1-2-3 frames in the second and sixth innings. Wood struck out three Seahawks in the bottom of the second inning, but two unearned runs came in on Bukovsky's two-out double.

Castleton tied the game at 4-4 with an unearned run in the top of the third.

Simpson started a three-run rally in the fourth with a lead-off single to the opposite field, stole second, and advanced to third on Soucie's groundout. Another two-out double (ground rule) by Bukovsky plated Simpson. Edine walked before O'Riley placed a single on the right field line to deliver her team-leading 30 RBI of the season.

Nelson greeted new pitcher Cassidy Tedeschi (Pascoag, R.I.) with a single to center to score Edine, giving the Seahawks a 7-4 advantage. A groundout in the fifth produced an unearned run for Salve Regina.

O'Riley hit a solo home run to left field in the sixth for a 9-4 lead. In Castleton's final at-bat, Fearon led off with a double and Jessica Babcock (Fairfax, Vt.) followed with an infield single. Brayman's sac fly produced a run as did Sylvester's single up the middle before Parry got a fielder's choice grounder and struck out Tedeschi for the final out.

The victory marked the first for the Seahawks in ECAC softball competition; their third time in the tournament (2009, 2012). Salve Regina advances to face top-seeded WPI on Saturday (10 a.m.) at host Brandeis University. The Seahawks defeated the Engineers, 11-3, in Clermont, Fla., on March 11.