Box Score
Post-Game Interview

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Adrienne Chase (CCC 2nd Team) and Abby Lambert (CCC 2nd Team) both produced two-RBI hits in the top of the 8th as No. 6 University of New England turned in a 6-2 come-from-behind victory over No. 2 Salve Regina University as the double elimination phase (Game 6 of 13) of the 2015 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Softball Championship continued Monday (Apr. 27) at Toppa Field.

Still without a setback in the tournament, the Nor'easters (20-18) will now meet No. 1 Western New England University in Thursday's Game 9 (last two unbeaten teams). The contest will follow another that starts at 2:30 p.m., so first pitch is slated for approximately 4:30 p.m.

Click HERE for the championship bracket.

Deadlocked at 2-2 heading into extra innings, Paige Moore-Haskell started the UNE frame with a single to center. After the first out, Sydney Helmbrecht (CCC 2nd Team) singled up the middle and Amanda Vallante (CCC 1st Team) walked to fill the bases. Chase then notched her second hit of the game, pulling a double down the line in left to score a pair. Lambert, who pitched Big Blue to victory earlier in the afternoon against Endicott College, came up next and guided a single into right-center that brought in two more and posted the four-run margin.

The Seahawks (20-19) received a one-out single and then a two-out single with hope of responding in the bottom of the 8th, but a soft liner to UNE pitcher Katelyn Austin in the circle ended things.

Austin fanned three while allowing nine hits and a walk as she upped her personal ledger to 7-5.

Her counterpart on the other side, SRU's Nicole Parry (CCC 2nd Team), struck out four against 10 hits and a walk as her individual mark fell to 11-9.

The two hurlers worked scoreless through four innings, though both sides had chances early on.

The Nor'easters had the first glimpse at a lead in the top of the 2nd, but Seahawks left fielder Skye Hart threw out Chase (lead-off single) at the plate as she attempted to score from second base.

Salve threatened in the 3rd when Hart bounced a one-out double over the outfield fence in right, took third on a wild pitch, and then Francesca Galeazzi (CCC Rookie of the Year/2nd Team) walked and stole second. But Austin battled through a nine-pitch at-bat against Nikki Bukovsky (CCC 1st Team) to induce a popout and got the same result from the next batter to elude the danger.

After back-to-back, two-out singles in the 4th netted nothing for the Seahawks, the hosts broke through in the 5th as Hart sent a lead-off home run to center. Galeazzi's first of two hits (infield single) on the day followed, before she took second on the play, later stole third, and made it 2-0 when Bukovsky flew out to center.

UNE answered right back in the 6th stanza, as a one-out double to left-center by Cat Ouellette plated Moore-Haskell all the way from first base. Big Blue tied it up with two down, when Vallante sliced a double into the left field corner and Ouellette came around to score.

Both squads put the first batter aboard in the 7th, and SRU managed to establish first and second with one away, but neither team could finish it in regulation.

While Chase was the only UNE player with multiple hits, Lindsay DelGrego joined Hart and Galeazzi in reaching the same standard for Salve Regina.

Austin and the Big Blue defense limited Bukovsky and fellow first team all-conference performer from Salve, Genevieve Benoit (CCC Player of the Year), to a combined eight empty plate appearances.

The Seahawks get No. 5 Roger Williams University in an elimination game on Thursday.


Earlier in the day: UNE 3, Endicott 1


Watch the post-game interview with Adrienne Chase and Abby Lambert