Statistics

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- A pair of two-run homers from Dina DiBlasio [CCC Player of the Year] and Madison Mason broke things open in the home half of the 3rd inning as No.2 Western New England University remained unbeaten in the 2022 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Softball Championship [Game 3b] with a 9-0 result (5 innings) over third seed University of New England at Golden Bear Park on Friday (May 6).

The Nor'easters (18-22) move into an elimination game [5b] versus No.7 Nichols College at 1:15 p.m. The winner will need to top the Golden Bears (27-13) twice in order to advance to the conference final round.

UNE had the first look at getting on the scoreboard in the top of the 1st, but left the bases loaded. Sami Groves led off with a single and two walks eventually filled the bags with two outs. Then a walk and error led to a Western New England unearned run in the bottom of the frame.

Groves started the 3rd with a double, however couldn't advance any further as a trio of hard lineouts ended the stanza. The hosts soon followed with a hit from Paige Baca and DiBlasio's home run to center for a 3-0 cushion, and, after a one-out single by Alex Ferriouolo, Mason upped the spread to 5-0.

The Golden Bears added four in the 4th, beginning with a two-run hit from Kailey Carrano [CCC 2nd Team]. Mason's second base hit -- a two-out double -- gave her four RBI in the contest, nearly doubling her season total. Taylor Keegan [CCC 1st Team], Baca, Ferriouolo each touched home plate for a second time during the inning.

A two-out double by Abby Miner [CCC 1st Team] marked UNE's fourth and final hit. With a walk on the next play, Grace Tutt saw her team-leading 14-game hitting streak come to an end, but did increase her reached-base run to 20 matches.

Megan Beebe [CCC 1st Team] worked four innings to improve to 15-5 overall for the Golden Bears. Alie Martell, who had the other hit for the Nor'easters, took the setback in the circle.