DANIEL WEBSTER SQUEAKS PAST PRIDE

By Ken Belbin, Daniel Webster College

Nashua – Rookie centerfielder Chelsey Crawford (Westfield, Mass.) went a combined 5 for 8 at the plate with two triples and reached base seven times and junior Amanda Varricchio (Middletown, Conn.) added a 4 for 7 day helping host Daniel Webster to a softball sweep of Regis College Saturday afternoon at Eagle Field, winning 6-3 in the opener and 7-6 in nine innings in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, the Eagles (2-5) came back from a 4-3 deficit plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as rookie Melissa Kelly (Hill, N.H.) tied it with a RBI single to score senior Kristina Rieger (Concord, N.H.), and freshman Lyndze Priebe (Raymond, N.H.) followed with a two-run single scoring Varricchio and Kelly as the Eagles won their first game of the season.
 
Lauren Chesnulevich (Hudson, Mass.) tossed the complete game victory (1-2), allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits, striking out one and walking seven.
 
Varricchio, Rieger and Kyla Pasachak (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) added two hits each for the Eagles, with Amy Waller (Berlin, Mass.), Rieger, Palaschak and Kelly knocking in a run apiece.
 
Shannon Hurley (Billerica, Mass.) led the Pride (1-7) with a 3 for 4 outing knocking in two, while Caitlin Luquet (Walnut Creek, Cal.) added two hits and scored twice.
 
Sophomore Maryssa Allen (Attleboro, Mass.) took the loss, allowing six runs on 12 hits, striking out four and walking one.
 
 
In the nightcap, Waller’s double in the bottom of the ninth scored Priebe from second to tie the game at six and Kelly came all the way around from first on an ensuing throwing error as the Eagles came back to post a 7-6 victory for the sweep.
 
The Eagles had forced extra innings as Crawford reached third on a three-base error in the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly from Rieger for a 4-4 game. Regis had plated three runs on the second and another in the fourth for a 4-3 lead.
 
The Pride went ahead in the top of the eighth on an Amanda Carlson (Ayer, Mass.) RBI single that scored Kelly Cadigan (Ware, Mass.) before the Eagles tied it in the bottom of the frame as freshman Julie Medeiros (Derry, N.H.) sent Rieger home from third on a ground out with one away.
 
Regis again forged ahead in the top of the ninth as Hope Benjamin (Rochester, Mass.) singled Allen in from third with one out, setting up the Eagles late heroics.
 
Rieger (1-1) and Allen both went the distance with gutsy performances on the mound.
 
Rieger finished up allowing six runs (four earned) on 11 hits, striking out four and walking four, while Allen allowed seven runs (three earned) on 11 hits, striking out three and walking none.
 
Crawford finished 3 for 4 in the nightcap and reached base all four times, scoring twice and knocking in one. Medeiros finished with two RBI, while Waller and Varricchio each added two hits and knocked in one.
 
For Regis, Luquet finished 2 for 4 knocking in three including a two-run double in the second, while Hurley went 3 for 5.
 
 
The Eagles return to action on Wednesday, hosting Fisher College at 3:30 p.m.
 
Regis visits the University of New England Wednesday in their CCC opener beginning at 3:30 p.m.