April 12, 2026
Pride Power Past Dean in Commanding GNAC Sweep
FRANKLIN, Mass. -- Regis College softball put together a dominant showing on the road Sunday afternoon, sweeping Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Dean College in a pair of run-rule victories. The Pride opened the day with an 8-0 win in five innings before following it up with a 10-0 shutout in six innings. The sweep improves Regis to 7-19 overall and 4-8 in GNAC play.
Game One, Regis 8-0 Dean
Regis wasted no time applying pressure in the top of the first, as Sydney Grund drew a leadoff walk and quickly moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Mel Rees followed it up with a single to put runners on the corners and ignite a rally the Pride would not slow down. With traffic continuing to build, Lynsey Kay opened the scoring with an RBI walk, followed by bases-loaded walks from Grace Motto and Madi Zancan to bring in additional runs. Regis took full advantage of a defensive miscue later in the inning, as an outfield error allowed three more runs to cross, capping a six-run frame and an early commanding lead.
The Pride added on in the third, when Zancan delivered an RBI single to extend the advantage to 7-0. In the bottom half, the Bulldogs managed their first hit off Kate Julian, but she was quickly stranded as Julian recorded a pair of strikeouts and got help from Grace Motto to end the threat.
In the top of the fourth, Samantha Kelepouris added insurance with an RBI double in the fourth, providing the final run needed as Regis secured the 8-0 victory an inning later.
Game Two, Regis 10-0 Dean
Lynsey Kay stayed consistent at the plate to open the second game, delivering a two-run double to bring home Mel Rees and Francesca Licata and give Regis an early 2-0 advantage. Dean responded in the bottom of the first with a double of its own, but Madi Zancan worked out of trouble to strand the runner and preserve the lead. Zancan then helped extend it in the following inning, scoring on a Sydney Grund single to make it 3-0.
The Pride were held quiet until the fourth, when Avery Simpson sparked the offense with a leadoff single. After a pair of groundouts moved her to third, Zancan delivered the big blow of the inning, crushing a two-run home run to bring Simpson across and stretch the lead to 5-0. Grund and Licata kept the rally going with back-to-back singles, though Dean limited further damage with a flyout to right to end the frame.
Regis put the game out of reach two innings later, beginning with a Mel Rees double that plated Sydney Grund and Zancan. Pinch runner Megan Arruda later scored on an RBI infield error off the bat of Samantha Kelepouris, before Lynsey Kay added another RBI with a triple and Avery Simpson followed with an RBI double to cap the scoring. Dean went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, as the Pride closed out a 10-0 run-rule victory.
Inside the Numbers
- Kate Julian and Mel Rees both earned victories in the circle on the day for the Pride. Julian secured the win in game one, turning in a strong performance while allowing just two hits and no runs, along with three strikeouts. Rees followed with her first win of the season in the circle, tossing four scoreless innings to help lead Regis to victory.
- The Pride offense was balanced in the opener, with five different players accounting for Regis' five hits.
- In game two, the offense erupted for 14 hits, with five players recording multi-hit performances, led by Avery Simpson's 3-for-4 effort at the plate. The Pride also tallied a season-high six extra-base hits.
- Madi Zancan highlighted the day with her first home run of the season and second of her career, previously having gone deep as a rookie in a grand slam against Elms.
Up Next
The Pride will begin a three-game home stand next Saturday when they welcome Elms to Weston, Massachusetts for a doubleheader at 12/2 p.m. Regis will also honor its lone senior, Madi Zancan, as part of the day's festivities.
