FORT MYERS, Fla. – Regis College wrapped up their final day in the Gene Cusic Classic with a pair of defeats in Fort Myers, Fla. The Pride (0-5) fell to Haverford University, 13-4, and followed that up with a 9-1 setback to Eastern Nazarene in game two. Kara Donovan (Woburn, Mass.) went 4-for-6 on the day with a stolen base for the Pride.
In game one, Regis struck first as Jill Bruning (Medford, Mass.) hit a towering shot over the head of the Fords' centerfielder and dropped in for a double, allowing Donovan to score and giving the Pride a 1-0 lead. Haverford responded in their half of the first with an RBI single. Laura Iwanyk stepped to the plate with a pair of runners on and laced a ball down the right field line that found its way past the Regis rightfielder and allowed Iwanyk to scamper all the way home, giving the Fords a 4-1 lead.
Haverford added one more in the third on an RBI single to take a 5-1 advantage headed into the fourth inning. The Pride had runners on the corners when Katie Blackburn (Milford, Mass.) doubled to the gap in right center and scoring Donovan. Alex Manavas (Montville, Conn.) followed with an RBI groundout and the Pride made it a one run game at 5-4 as Blackburn came home on a wild pitch.
The Fords responded with an eight-run bottom of the fourth and the Pride had no answer in their half of the fifth as Haverford (3-0) took home the 13-4 win.
Donovan went 3-for-3 on the day with a pair of runs scored. Samantha Bliss (Framingham, Mass.) and Jasmyne Welch (Wells, Maine) added hits with Bruning and Blackburn each adding a double apiece. Emily Pickett (Wrentham, Mass.) suffered the setback for Regis, giving up 13 runs (seven earned) on 15 hits while striking out three.
Regis and former CCC-foe Eastern Nazarene tangled in the second game of the day and Regis struck first again as Welch drove in Samantha Bliss with an RBI groundout. The Lions took advantage of a Regis misplay as the Lions tied the score on an errant throw and took a 2-1 lead on an RBI double by Taylor Fleming.
Neither team could muster much offense over the next few innings before ENC's Samantha Losano doubled down the right field line, plating the Lions' third run of the day. The Pride could not answer in their half of the fifth, but the Lions tacked on four more as Fleming hit a three-run homerun and Losano added an RBI single to take a 7-1 lead.
Regis put on a pair in the top of the sixth and were threatening, but Kori Sorensen came in and forced a strikeout followed by a groundout to end the threat. Sorensen then helped out her offense, singling with the bases loaded to give Eastern Naz an 8-1 lead. Hannah Moore ended the game by forcing in a run with a walk and helping the Lions (1-5) grab their first win of the year.
Christine O'Toole (Wareham, Mass.) went 2-for-3 against the Lions, while Donovan, Bruning, and Blackburn each added hits. Samantha Bliss took the loss for the Pride, lasting five innings and giving up seven runs on 12 hits with a strikeout.
The Pride return to action on March 27th with a double-header on the road against Mount Ida starting at 3:00 p.m.