Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. -- The University of New England softball squad connected for 23 hits on its way to a 6-2, 7-2 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader sweep of Nichols College on Sunday afternoon (Apr. 21).

With conference play now complete for the Nor'easters (12-6) -- who went 7-1 down the stretch -- Big Blue will enter the CCC Championship as the No. 4 seed and moves right into the double elimination phase that begins on April 29. The official seeds and postseason bracket will be announced early this coming week.

The decision in the opener gave UNE its seventh consecutive season with at least 20 victories (21-14-1).

At 5-25 overall and 3-13 in league action, the Bison will look to qualify for the play-in phase of the CCC tournament at Eastern Nazarene College (3-11) on Tuesday.

Game one was close through two innings, as each team scored once in those at-bats. A sacrifice fly by UNE senior Megan Gauger gave the visitors the edge in the 5th, before junior Allie Frazier and sophomore Adrienne Chase notched RBI-singles as part of a three-run 6th for the Nor'easters.

Big Blue first-year pitcher Abby Lambert was very effective in the circle, allowing three hits, zero walks, and zero earned runs in the outing. She struck out six while improving to 8-4 on the year.

Frazier had three runs batted in during the game, and was joined by Lambert, junior Amanda Vaudreuil, and first-year Jess Lemos at two hits. Lemos scored two of UNE's runs.

Scoreless through an inning in game two, the Nor'easters used a four-run 2nd frame to jump in front. With one on and one out, Gauger doubled to left-center to put two in scoring position. Following the second out of the inning, senior Casey Brigham placed a two-RBI single through the right side. Wild pitches allowed Brigham to move over to third base before Lemos plated her with a through the left side. Lemos then stole second and scored on a single by first-year Amanda Vallante.

An RBI-single by Gauger in the 3rd plated first-year Meghan Bolano to make it 5-0, and Frazier drove in Brigham in the 4th to push the margin to six.

UNE first-year Lauren Doneski had surrendered two singles and two walk through the first four innings, before Nichols scored a pair in the bottom of the 5th to get on the board.

The Nor'easters completed their scoring in the last stanza courtesy of a lead-off homer to left by Bolano. UNE was primed to add more in both the 6th and 7th innings, but left the bases loaded each time.

Gauger, Brigham, Bolano, Vallante, and Lemos had two hits apiece to pace the offense. The defense kept things error-free behind Doneski, who totaled seven strikeouts on her way to an eighth win (8-4) in the circle.

Rebecca Palmarozza, Emalee Watkins, and Rachel Dalrymple each had a pair of hits on the day for the Bison.

UNE wraps up the regular-season with a non-league twinbill on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.) at Bowdoin College.