Raiders Hold Off Late Inning Rally to Advance to GNAC Championship

WENHAM, Mass.- The fifth seeded Rivier College Raiders were able to hold off a late inning rally to advance to today's Great Northeast Athletic Conference softball championship, upsetting the fourth seed St. Joseph's College Blue Jays 5-4. The Raiders will play the St. Joseph's College of Maine Monks at 1pm, while the Blue Jays season concludes with a record of 22-18.

The Raiders found themselves down 4-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth after the Blue Jays put up four in the top half. Sophomore Emily Hummel (Hebron, CT) pitched well enough to keep St. Joe's in the game, but two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth allowed Rivier to advance. With a runner on first and two outs, Rivier's Nicole Peacock (Fr. Warwick, RI) reached on an error and both runners advanced to second and third on an errant throw. Catherine Roy (Fr. Dracut, MA) stepped into the box and delivered a clutch two run, go-ahead single to left that put the Raiders ahead for good.

The Blue Jays went into the top of the sixth down by three runs before a two out rally put them ahead by one. Stephanie Valerio (So. Wolcott, CT) started off the inning with a double down the right field line. After two quick outs, Hummel helped her own cause, reaching on an error that scored Valerio to cut the deficit to 3-1. Ashley Gall (Fr. Stafford Springs, CT) followed suit by singling through the left side of the infield to put runners on first and second. Bryanna Durant (So. Middletown, CT) was able to make it a 3-2 game after she reached on another Rivier error, allowing Hummel to score all the way from second base. Freshman Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, CT) kept the rally alive by singling in Gall to tie the game at three. Pinch hitter Megan Fairfield (Fr. Franklin, MA) came up with one of the biggest hits of her young career as she knocked in the go ahead run with a single to center.

Hummel pitched five and two thirds innings, allowing only three earned runs. She struck out ten and only walked one while scattering ten hits. Sullivan finished the day 2-3 at the plate with an RBI and senior Melanie Bush (Bristol, CT) also had two hits in the losing effort. Freshman Hillary Tarr (North Easton, MA) picked up the win for the Raiders, pitching a complete game and allowing four runs, none of which were earned. Offensively, Rivier was led by Roy's three hit, two RBI performance. Sophomore Amanda Thornton (Hanover, MA) also had a huge day at the plate for the Raiders, going 2-2 with a double and a home run.