Game 1 Statistics
Game 2 Statistics
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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England received big hits from Grace Riva and Hannah Lappin and seven strong innings from Kara MacDonald on the way to a 7-3 triumph over Gordon College in the Conference of New England (CNE) softball regular-season finale on Saturday (May 3) at Nor'easters Diamond. The Fighting Scots picked up a 4-1 result in the doubleheader opener.

On the day, senior Abby Walsh plated runs in both contests for the Nor'easters (11-29, 3-15 CNE), and Riva had hits in each, totaling three.

Caoimhe Wernsing and Emily Peterson led Gordon (12-26, 4-14) with three hits apiece over the two matches.

After MacDonald struck out the side in the 2nd inning in GAME 2 (UNE 7-3), the hosts made the first mark on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame when Riva smashed a two-run shot over the fence in left [Watch]; the second home run of her rookie season.

With two away in the 3rd, Hailey Conde tied things up for the Scots with a two-run double, but the Nor'easters quickly regained the edge. Walsh, who had scored on Riva's blast, provided one run with a sacrifice fly to drive in Elise Connor, who had led off the stanza with a single. Fiona Casey followed with an RBI-single and it was 4-2 [Watch].

While a leadoff double by Mackenzie Murray eventually netted a run in the Gordon 4th, closing the gap to one, the visitors could not get any more. The Fighting Scots did load the bases with two outs in the 7th, but the ensuing grounder sealed it.

Conversely, Lappin and the Nor'easters were able to cash in with the bases juiced and two gone in the last half of the 5th. A single by Jadyn Kimball was sandwiched by outs, but Casey and Riva kept the inning alive with their second hits. Then Lappin sliced a bases-clearing double into the right-center gap to boost the advantage to 7-3 [Watch]; Lappin went 3-for-3 in the game.

MacDonald finished with a career-best seven strikeouts in the win for UNE. Wernsing took the pitching loss in relief for Gordon, and Lizzie DeRusha had a team-best two hits.

Wernsing doubled to begin GAME 1 (GC 4-1) but the Fighting Scots could not convert, as UNE erased a two-on, one-away situation when Emma Michaud, Hannah Irons, and Casey turned a double-play [Watch]. However, a two-out RBI-single from Peterson did put Gordon in front in the 2nd.

The first of two hits by Delaney Whitten, a sacrifice, and a steal didn't amount to UNE getting one back in the bottom of the inning, and then a sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in the top of the 3rd. Then a two-run single from Ami Rivera in the 4th pushed the spread to 4-0 in favor of the Scots.

An RBI-single by Walsh put the home squad on the board with an unearned run in the 4th [Watch], but Gordon's Emily Graham did enough from the circle in the remainder of the match to keep it that way. The Nor'easters had two aboard in the latter stages of both the 5th and 7th innings, yet all were stranded.

Graham scattered six hits and two walks en route to her eighth positive decision of the year. Two hits apiece on the offensive side came from Wernsing -- a pair of wall-doubles, one in each gap -- and Peterson.

Irons joined Whitten with a couple of hits for the Nor'easters. Graduate pitcher Cat Higgins went the complete game in the setback, aided by another double-play from Irons and Casey in the 6th [Watch].