Rivier selected for 2011 ECAC Division III New England Softball Championship

CENTERVILLE, Mass. -- Rivier College has been selected as the #6 seed in the regional ECAC Division III New England Softball Championship after posting a 26-14 record during the regular season and finishing as the GNAC runner up in the conference tournament.  The Raiders will travel to the University of New England for the opening round action on Wednesday, May 11th at 4:00 pm.

After finishing the regular-season with a 27-12-1 record, Keene State was selected as the No. 1 seed in the 2011 ECAC Division III New England Softball Championship. The tournament is a seven-team field with six teams participating in a single-elimination quarterfinal round followed by a double-elimination format for the remaining four teams. Top seed Keene State will receive a bye and host the double elimination tournament May 14-15.

In the first-round contests on Wednesday, May 11, No. 2 Brandeis (18-17) will host No. 7 Elms College (22-14) at 4:30 p.m. while No. 3 University of New England (27-17) will face No. 6 Rivier College (26-14) at 4 p.m. at UNE. Western New England (27-17) will take on Simmons College (24-15) at 4 p.m. in the No. 4/No. 5 match-up at WNEC.

The first-round winners will advance to play on Saturday, May 14, at Keene State College. The winner of No. 4 WNEC/No. 5 Simmons will face No. 1 Keene State at 10 a.m. in Game 1 of the double elimination format, and the winner of No. 3 UNE/No. 6 Rivier will play the winner of No. 2 Brandeis/No. 7 Elms at 12 p.m. in Game 2. The loser of Game 1 and the loser of Game 2 will play an elimination game (Game 3) at 2 p.m. The winner of Game 1 and the winner of Game 2 will square off in the Winner's Bracket (Game 4) at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, May 15, the Game 4 loser and the Game 3 winner will meet in Game 5 in an elimination game at 10 a.m. The winner of game 5 will advance to play the winner of game 4 at 12 p.m. If necessary, a Game 7 will be played immediately following Game 6 to complete the double elimination format.

2011 ECAC Division III New England Softball Championship

First Round – Wednesday, May 11 at campus sites

No. 7 Elms (22-14) at No. 2 Brandeis (18-17), 4:30 p.m.
No. 6 Rivier (26-14) at No. 3 Univ. of New England (27-17), 4 p.m.
No. 5 Simmons (24-15) at No. 4 WNEC (27-17), 4 p.m.

Double Elimination (Day 1) – Saturday, May 14 at Keene State

Game 1: No. 1 Keene State (27-12-1) vs. No. 4/No. 5 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 2: No. 2/No. 7 winner vs. No. 3/No. 6 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4 p.m.

Double Elimination (Day 2) – Saturday, May 14 at Keene State

Game 5: Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 2 p.m. (if necessary)