Statistics

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Cori Rizzo delivered a two-out home run to left-center in the bottom of the 7th inning to lift No.2 Western New England University past No.3 University of New England, 6-3, to advance from Bracket B [Game 6B] in the 2022 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Softball Championship on Friday afternoon (May 6) at Golden Bear Park.

The Golden Bears (28-13) will carry a 3-0 tournament ledger into Saturday's championship round against top seed Endicott College (3-0), which eliminated No.8 Roger Williams University (8-0, 6 innings).

After bouncing back from a five-inning loss (9-0) to WNEU earlier in the day with a five-inning shutout of Nichols (10-0), the Nor'easters conclude the year with a 19-23 overall record.

Contrary to the first meeting between the squads, UNE jumped out to a lead in the top of the 1st. A walk by Sami Groves and singles from Makenzy Herron [CCC 1st Team] and Abby Miner [CCC 1st Team] loaded the bases for a sacrifice fly out of Grace Tutt [CCC 3rd Team].

Both sides left a runner in scoring position in the 2nd, and the Nor'easters did it again in the 4th, before UNE managed to double the advantage (2-0) in the 5th. Singles from Groves and Herron eventually turned into Herron crossing on a two-out wild pitch.

However, the Golden Bears broke through in the last half of the stanza, beginning with a one-out RBI-single by Taylor Keegan [CCC 1st Team]. Two batters later, Dina DiBlasio [CCC Player of the Year] came through with a two-run single to flip the edge (3-2). The hosts threatened for more, loading the bases, still just with that one out, but the Nor'easters were able to get back to the dugout without any more damage. Neither team could produce after the lead-off batters reached in the 6th.

UNE did what it needed to do to extend things in the top of the 7th, though. Groves drew another lead-off walk and Herron singled for a third time, and, following two outs, Groves scored again when Kate Wilmot [CCC 1st Team] singled up the middle.

Western New England responded in the last at-bat of regulation with a lead-off single from Paige Baca, and DiBlasio was issued a free pass. Two outs kept the runners in place, but that's what Rizzo clinched it. Rizzo had been pinch-hit for in the previous inning.

With all hands on deck, Megan Beebe [CCC 1st Team] relieved Ava Blanchard after one inning of work and fanned eight the rest of the way to pick up her 16th win for the Golden Bears. Baca and Alex Ferriouolo [CCC 3rd Team] each had a couple hits for the home squad.

Herron and Wilmot accounted for five of the eight hits by UNE, which stranded nine in the contest. Jordan Strum took the loss in the circle.

Miner's 2022 campaign at the dish was one of the strongest in program records. She winds up with the second-best in four areas: home runs (7), runs batted in (47), doubles (16), and extra-base hits (24 of 49).

Herron hit a team-best .700 (7-for-10) over the four games of the tournament, and Groves got on base 57 percent (8-of-14) of the time. Miner had a slugging percentage at .909 and also reached safely from more than half (7-for-13) of her plate appearances.