Game 1 Statistics
Game 2 Statistics
Photos

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England softball team generated a run from two hits and an error in the last half of the 7th inning to walk-off with a 3-2 Conference of New England (CNE) triumph over the University of Hartford on Friday afternoon (Apr. 11) at Nor'easter Diamond. In the nightcap of the doubleheader, the Hawks pulled away late for a 14-2 result (6 innings).

For UNE (7-17), the league win was the first in eight outings. The Nor'easters -- who are now off until Tuesday (3:30 p.m.), when Western New England University comes to town -- received hits in both contests from Emma Michaud (4 total), Hannah Irons, Delaney Whitten, and Emma Koenig.

Alexis Sealey went 5-for-7 on the day for the Hawks (11-10, 3-3 CNE), while Olivia Wolk chipped in with four hits.

While the hosts could not convert after a leadoff double off the left field wall by Whitten in the 2nd frame of GAME 1 (UNE 3-2), UNE did plate a pair in the 3rd to get out in front. The first two pitches went for a double by Hannah Lappin and then a triple to right-center by Irons, before a Michaud RBI-groundout padded the cushion.

Two hits -- including a ground-rule double by Taylor Fitch -- and a sac fly got one run back for Hartford in the 5th, and then the visitors tied it up (2-2) at the start of the 6th as Gia Miccio was credited with a home run. Miccio lofted a deep fly to center that was nearly snagged at the wall, but it bounced out of the glove and dropped over the fence.

Abigail Prokey opened the last at-bat of regulation with a single through the right side, and Lappin followed with a perfectly soft bunt single. The duo was standing in scoring position before the second out was recorded, and with the ensuing routine grounder to third, it appeared for a brief moment that things were headed for extras. However, the throw to across the diamond sailed high as Prokey touched home with the winning tally.

Kara MacDonald had three strikeouts against no walks and seven hits in the UNE victory. The tidy defensive support included a couple of runners caught stealing, both by a Koenig-to-Michaud connection.

Ella Zobel took the tough loss in relief of Carly Mayhood, who worked the first five innings for the Hawks. The pair combined to strike out five. Azya Walker shared the game-high of two hits for the offense.

Hartford started strong in GAME 2 (HART 14-2), taking a 3-0 edge through two innings. Wolk provide two of those runs with infield singles, and the other was by a sacrifice fly. Meanwhile, through three turns batting, the Nor'easters had three hits but stranded six runners.

A Sealey leadoff double in the top of the 4th didn't amount to anything, and then UNE chipped into the deficit with two unearned runs in the bottom of the stanza. Fiona Casey singled and later scored on a sac fly by Lappin, and Prokey soon came around on contact created by Irons.

It was still 3-2 entering the 6th, but the visitors sent 17 batters to the dish and broke the match open. The Hawks combined eight hits with four free passes to plate 11 runs, eight of which were unearned due to two UNE miscues. Sealey, who went 4-of-4 in the game and scored four times, had the lone extra-base knock of the 6th -- a double -- that drove in two.

Adelie Beebe joined Wolk with three RBI for Hartford, while Sydney Matz was the third player on the squad with multiple hits in the outing. Zobel picked up the pitching win in 2.2 innings of relief, after starter Alex Hassett lasted 10 outs and exited with a slim lead.

Michaud went 3-for-3 for UNE, which totaled seven singles. Cat Higgins absorbed the setback in the circle after dealing three batters into the 6th; she fanned three.