KARA DONOVAN HITS SOLO HOME RUN VERSUS UNE

KARA DONOVAN HITS SOLO HOME RUN VERSUS UNE
WESTON, Mass.—The University of New England scored 12 runs in the third inning to notch a 17-10 game two victory Wednesday over Regis College. The Nor’easters held an eight-run lead (9-1) at the end of five innings to defeat the Pride in game one. The University of New England improved to 11-5 overall and 6-0 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference. Regis College dropped its sixth straight game to fall to 1-18 overall and 0-8 TCCC.

Regis College tallied four runs in the bottom of the third inning of game two to give the threat of etching into the Nor’easters 13 runs. The two teams would not score runs in the fourth, but a five-run rally by Regis College ended all hopes of UNE ending Regis’ day early.

Kara Donovan (Woburn, Mass./Arlington Catholic) began Regis’ comeback with a single, and would score her third run of the day. In the same inning, teammates Shannon Hurley (Billerica, Mass/Arlington Catholic) and Amanda Carlson (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) would hit singles to get on base and score runs for the Pride also.

Hope Benjamin (Rochester, Mass./Old Rochester Regional) had two doubles on 2-for-4 batting for the Pride. The Pride’s Alissa Michaud (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) had a team-high three runs batted in for Regis in game two. Donovan was the only player to get something going offensively in game one as she hit her first homerun of the season in the first inning, sailing her hit deep over the left field fence.

The Nor’easters Julie Bigelow (Montpelier, Vt./U-32) pitched five innings in game one, allowing just one run (Donovan’s), faced 18 batters, and struck out four.

Bigelow pitched 2.1 innings in the second game and allowed five runs after facing 15 batters. In the Nor’easters 12-run third inning, the Pride committed seven errors, while UNE had just four hits. Maegen Johnson (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle), Amanda Vaudreuil (Windham, N.H./Salem), Alison Stanley (Rochester, N.H./Spaulding), and Erin Grover (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) had that innings only hits.

Vaudreuil batted 2-for-3, scored two runs, and had three RBIs. Grover, Johnson and Stanley also had three RBIs, as well as Stephanie Podolski (Conventry, Conn./Coventry). Johnson would also smack a triple, the only one of the game in the fourth inning.

The Nor’easters scored just one run in the fifth, a single by Marie Mantelli (Thompson, Conn./Tourtellotte) got a runner on, but it was a single by Erin Lyons (Salem, N.H./Salem) that scored the team’s run.

UNE pitchers Grover and Zablowsky would pitch 1.2 and 3.0 innings respectively. Grover allowed two hits, three runs, and stuck-out one batter of 18 batters faced. Zablowsky allowed four hits, two runs, and faced 13 batters.

Regis’ Kendra Abram (Acushnet, Mass./Bishop Connelly) pitched all seven innings, allowed 12 hits having faced 45 batters.

Regis College returns to the diamond Saturday (April 2) to face Roger Williams. The University of New England will host TCCC opponent Western New England March 31 at 3:00 p.m.