Game 1 Statistics
Game 2 Statistics

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The University of New England and Salve Regina University each took a piece of Sunday's (Apr. 8) Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball doubleheader at Toppa Field, with the Seahawks rallying in the last frame of the opener for a 4-3 result and the Nor'easters hanging on for a 3-2 win later in the afternoon.

With the split, UNE (10-6, 5-1 CCC) stays in front of SRU (7-11, 4-2 CCC) in the league standings.

GAME 2 (UNE 3-2) was scoreless through three innings, before Melissa Jakubowski recorded a two-RBI single with one out in the top of the 4th. Sarah Lachapelle was one of the two who scored on the play, following a lead-off double.

Jakubowski drew a based-loaded walk with two away in the 5th to make it 3-0 in favor of UNE.

Salve Regina trimmed the deficit to one (3-2) with two outs in the 6th, as a bunt-single by Francesca Galeazzi preceded a two-run homer from Elizabeth Lombardo.

Other than those two SRU batters, the Nor'easters and pitcher Sydnee Bessler completely shut down the hosts during the last 15 outs. Bessler notched her 10th win behind four strikeouts, while surrendering no walks and four hits.

Andi Nelson fanned eight in 4.2 innings of work for the Seahawks, taking the loss.

Lombardo keyed Salve's last-ditch comeback in GAME 1 (SRU 4-3), driving a two-out double to deep left field that scored Galeazzi and Lindsay DelGrego to tie things at 3-3. Amanda Riley doubled to center on the ensuing play to score Lombardo for the walk-off win.

Neither side scored during the initial five innings, and both got one across in the 6th. UNE positioned itself for a result in the top of the 7th, when a two-out single by Alexis Kapsambelis plated Bessler and Andrea Gosper for a 3-1 cushion. It was Big Blue's third hit of the contest.

Galeazzi, Lombardo, and Riley totaled seven of the Seahawks' 10 hits in the outing. Nelson got the pitching decision by recording just one out in relief of starter Jaycee Garrigan, who fanned six.

Bessler absorbed the setback in the circle for the Nor'easters, in spite of eight strikeouts against no walks.

Next up: UNE is slated for a non-conference twinbill at the University of Southern Maine on Tuesday (3 p.m.).