May 13, 2006

NCAA Division II Softball Northeast Regional
At Smithfield, RI (Bryant University host)

THIRD DAY ACTION (Saturday)

GAME 7
LE MOYNE DEFEATS QUEENS 10-1 FOLLOWING RAIN DELAY

SMITHFIELD, RI -   No. 7 seed Le Moyne didn't waste anytime putting away #6 seed Queens (NY) Saturday afternoon at the 2006 NCAA Northeast Softball Regional at Bryant University.  In a game that started Friday afternoon with the Dolphins leading 1-0, the game was suspended until Saturday due to heavy rains.  When play resumed in the second inning Saturday morning, the Dolphins poured on eight en route to a 10-1 five-inning win over the Knights.

Emma Murphy went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs in the game.  Murphy and Melissa Quimby each doubled in the Dolphins' big second inning while Lyndsey Balinskas tripled and also scored.  Murphy would also blast a three-run home run in the inning, clearing the fence and stone wall encircling the Bryant Softball Complex, giving Sarah Reed plenty of run support as the sophomore pitcher improved to 16-9.

Le Moyne (31-19), the defending regional champion, will advance in the winners bracket and will face CW Post, a 2-1 winner over UMass Lowell in today's second game. Queens (28-21) will play Southern N.H. later today.  

GAME 8
C.W. POST EDGES UMASS LOWELL 2-1 TO STAY UNDEFEATED

SMITHFIELD, RI - The Pioneers of C.W. Post continue to play well in looking get back to the regional final for the second-straight season.  In a winner's bracket game Saturday, C.W. Post, the champion of the NYCAC Conference and top seed of this year's regional, scored a run on an infield single in the sixth to defeat UMass Lowell 2-1. 

Behind the solid pitching performance of junior pitcher Danielle Stallone, the Pioneers came through with the winning run with two outs in the top of the sixth as Megan Correia hit a slow roller to shortstop, allowing enough time to Holly Eringis to come around to score.  

Stallone allowed just one run and held UMass Lowell to just three hits before surrendering a two-out double to River Hawk junior Kristen Mahoney in the seventh.  She would settle down and got Lauren Clark to pop out to end the game.  CW Post will now face Le Moyne Sunday in a matchup of last year's regional final, won by Le Moyne.

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