Postseason Preview: Softball to Host New England Col. in Tuesday’s GNAC Play-In Round

NASHUA, N.H. – The fourth-seeded Rivier softball team will host fifth-seeded New England Col. in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Play-In round on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. at Raider Diamond.

The Raiders finished 15-17 overall record in the regular-season, posting an 8-8 record against conference competition. Both Rivier and NEC went 6-6 against divisional opponents and split their head-to-head doubleheader back on April 8, but Rivier was able to sneak into the fourth spot via tiebreaker.

After bowing out of last season's conference tournament in the first round, Rivier came into 2024 with new leadership as Noelle Sass took over as head coach. In the team's opening trip to Florida, the team came away with five wins, snapping a 16-game losing streak for games played in The Sunshine State.

The Raiders then split their first three doubleheaders in the region before dropping a pair to Plymouth St. in non-conference play. In a return to GNAC action, Rivier took game one from Emmanuel (Mass.) on April 13 to put a half to a 12-game losing streak in the all-time series against the Saints.

The Raiders followed that up with splits against Anna Maria and Simmons before sweeping Norwich on the road.

Rivier concluded the regular-season with a 1-3 run in which it split with Mitchell before being swept by Saint Joseph's (Me.) on Senior Day.

First-year Kyleigh Burtsell leads the squad in batting average, hitting .440 through 50 at-bats. Sophomore Olivia Couto is slated right behind with a .373 average, notching 38 hits over 102 at-bats while registering 20 RBI. Christina Panagiotopoulos (3.47), Kylee Caetano (.337), Kayla Miles (.321), and Hayleigh Silva (.320) have all been major contributors at the plate in 2024.

In the circle, first-year Hailey Berube has handled much of the workload, pitching 106.2 innings over 22 appearances. She has an earned-run average of 2.95, allowing 132 hits, 45 earned runs, and 32 walks while striking out 58 batters to post a 10-5 record.

The Pilgrims went 14-22 (6-10 GNAC) this year to slide into the fifth spot in the North before the postseason. NEC is led by right-handed pitcher Olivia Olson who ranks first in the GNAC in wins with 11, boasting a 2.29 ERA. Sophomore Emma Lopez has been stellar in the batters' box all year, finishing the regular-season with a .368 batting average with 42 hits (six doubles, four triples), 30 RBI, 14 runs scored, and 12 walks while only striking out four times.

Rivier and NEC are 4-4 in the all-time series dating back to the 2022 season.

The winner of Tuesday night's clash will head to Standish, Maine on Thursday, May 2 for Pod Play hosted by Saint Joseph's (Me.)