Box Score

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Ali Muehlbronner scored a run in the 1st and hit a two-run homer in the 2nd to help lead No. 5 Salve Regina University to a 3-2 decision against fourth-seeded University of New England as the double elimination phase of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship began Monday afternoon (Apr. 29) on the campus of Endicott College.

The Nor'easters (22-16-1) resume tournament play on Thursday (2:30 p.m.) when they will return to Beverly, Mass. for a meeting with Western New England University (which lost to Roger Williams, 6-1).

Muehlbronner got things started for the Seahawks (23-17) right out of the gate, reaching on a single through the left side and making it over the third base with one out. Marissa Simpson then singled to center, driving in Muehlbronner. SRU left two runners in scoring position when the inning ended.

UNE answered in the bottom of the 1st, behind back-to-back two-out doubles to left from junior Amanda Vaudreuil and sophomore Adrienne Chase. A walk and a wild pitch put runners on second and third, but Big Blue could not push any more across.

After the first two batters of the Salve 2nd were retired, pitcher Jen Cruver kept the inning going with a single up the middle. Muehlbronner followed with her first home run of the season over the fence in left to bump the Seahawks back in front, 3-1.

First-year Amanda Vallante began the UNE half of the 3rd with a single up the middle, and after an out, Vaudreuil placed a long single into the gap in left-center which allowed Vallante to come all the way around to score. The Nor'easters again threatened to add on more in the stanza, but stranded a pair on the left side of the diamond.

The Seahawks were poised to increase their one-run advantage in the 6th, as Megan Jakiela notched her second hit of the day -- a double to left-center -- with one out. An infield error put two aboard, however UNE first-year pitcher Abby Lambert fanned the next two batters to get out of the frame unscathed.

Lambert had a two-out single through the left side in the bottom of the 6th, and a two-base infield error got both runners into scoring position, but Cruver managed to escape the inning, still with a 3-2 edge.

A pair of two-out singles for SRU did not amount to anything in the top of the 7th, and a two-out single by Vaudreuil -- her third of the afternoon -- was all UNE could get in its last chance to tie the game.

Simpson joined Muehlbronner and Jakiela with two hits for the Salve Regina offense, while Cruver registered seven strikeouts to improve her personal record to 23-15.

Lambert (9-5) also got seven batters to go down on strikes in the circle for the Nor'easters.