Game 1 Statistics
Game 2 Statistics

DUDLEY, Mass. -- Kenzie Bessette and Makenzy Herron combined for six hits and four runs scored to lead the University of New England past Nichols College, 6-3, in game one of Saturday's (Apr. 22) Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) softball doubleheader. The Bison used a four-run 4th inning to claim the next contest, 4-1.

The Nor'easters move to 9-21 on the year, while Nichols sits at 14-15-1 overall, and both are 6-6 in league outings.
 
With a single to start off game two, Bessette upped her hitting streak to 11 matches.

Trailing 1-0 heading to the top of the 3rd in GAME 1 (UNE 6-3), the Nor'easters received a one-out triple from Bessette and single by Herron to tie the score. After a double from Abby Miner, a sacrifice fly by Grace Tutt made it 2-1.

The second RBI from Bailey Littlefield of Nichols came with a two-out single in the last half of the 3rd (2-2), only to see UNE plate three and take the lead for good in the 4th. The second out of the frame came on a Becca Dumont groundout, scoring Elise Connor, before RBI-singles from Bessette and Herron padded the cushion to 5-2.

The Bison got one back with two outs in the 6th (5-3), but the Nor'easters restored the three-run lead in the 7th with an RBI-single from Tutt, knocking in Herron from second. Nichols managed to get two on with two away in its last chance, but Kara MacDonald induced a flyout to end things. MacDonald struck out a pair and did not issue a walk on the way to her fifth win in the circle.

After the three hits apiece from Bessette and Herron, Miner accounted for two of UNE's 12. Out of the 10 Nichols hits, Ava Slavinsky had three singles. Olivia Pedro took the loss in the circle for the hosts, allowing three earned runs over 3.2 innings.

Around a combined three runners stranded in scoring position, the pitchers had the early edge in GAME 2 (NC 4-1), as Mia Micucci and Chelsea Indyk worked scoreless into the 4th. UNE increased the pressure by getting Herron (single) and Tutt (double) into place with one down in the 4th, but Indyk fanned the next two to get out of the jam.

The Bison then used that boost to plate four with five hits in the bottom of the inning. Mackenzie Jackson, Chloe Steiniger (double), and Emma West-Testo each had run-scoring hits.

Emma Koenig began the UNE 5th with a double, and pinch runner Jaiden McKenna attempted to score on a hit to left field by Dumont, but was thrown out at home. Nichols looked to extend the margin in its next at-bat, but left the bases full.

The Nor'easters did get one across in the 6th, when Herron reached on an error, advanced to third with a double by Miner, and scored on a two-out, pinch-hit single from Megan Chamberlain. In the 7th, a lead-off single by Jamie DuPont went for not, as a fielder's choice out and line-out double-play sealed the result for the Bison.

Indyk went the distance, striking out eight against eight hits and no walks. Littlefield and Jackson accounted for half of the eight hits for Nichols.

Micucci struck out four in as many innings from the circle for UNE, which is back in action Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) at home against Western New England University.