Statistics

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Second-seeded University of New England sent 17 batters to the plate through two innings to overcome an early deficit and secure an 11-3 victory (5 innings) against No.6 Nichols College in Game 5 of the 2019 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Softball Championship on Thursday afternoon (May 2) at Nor'easter Diamond.

With the result, UNE (25-14) moves forward into Friday's Game 10 of the double elimination tournament, which is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. on the campus of Endicott College [Interactive Bracket]. The matchup will be complete once the top-seeded Gulls and No.5 Roger Williams University play to a winner in the morning.

The Bison (17-18-1) drop into an elimination contest [Game 7] versus fifth-seeded Salve Regina University, which is slated to begin at 11 a.m. Friday on the campus of Gordon College.

Coming off a no-hitter performance on Wednesday, UNE's Sydnee Bessler was touched for three by Nichols with one out in the top of the 1st frame. Taylor Commesso gave the visitors a 3-0 lead with a deep home run over the left field fence.

The Nor'easters countered immediately with one full turn through the lineup, though, and grabbed a 4-3 edge by the end of the 34-minute opening stanza. Avery Alberghini (CCC Player of the Year / 1st Team) got things started with an inside-the-park home run -- the second of her career [Watch]. Doubles by Caroline Schoenbucher and Taylor Depot (CCC 3rd Team) followed, before Andrea Gosper (CCC 3rd Team) made it 3-2 with a single. After the initial out, a single by Sarah Lachapelle loaded the bases for Anna Sessa, whose single then knocked in a pair for the ultimate advantage [Watch].

Bessler (CCC 1st Team) needed just eight pitches in the 2nd to maintain the slim cushion, and only allowed four base runners the rest of the way to notch her 12th win in the circle with four strikeouts.

The UNE bats provided insurance with four more in the 2nd to establish an 8-3 margin. One was already across when Gosper posted a two-RBI single [Watch], and a double from Lachapelle drove home her first of two [Watch].

The hosts tacked on one run in each of the next three at-bats to end it, capped by Depot's third double in the 5th inning [Watch]. Batters one through four in the UNE order (Alberghini, Schoenbucher, Depot, and Gosper) combined for six of the team's seven extra-bases hits, 11 of the 14 total hits, and all 11 runs scored. The runs and hits production both matched season highs.

Alexis Ferris (CCC 2nd Team) took the pitching loss for the Bison, faced 12 batters prior to exiting the contest.

Alberghini entered the day ranked fourth in Division III for batting average (.544) and stolen bases/game (1.12); both increased, with a 3-for-4 outing at the dish and two steals. She is also now the top run scorer in the last 25+ seasons of the UNE program (114), surpassing the 113 held by Maegen Johnson '12.