Pride Dominate on Senior Day with Doubleheader Sweep of Elms

WESTON, Mass. -- Regis softball delivered a dominant showing on Senior Day, sweeping Elms by scores of 16-0 and 4-0. With the pair of shutout victories, the Pride improved to 9-19 overall and 6-8 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.

Game One, Regis 16-0 Elms

Kate Julian set the tone early, striking out the side in the opening frame. The Pride offense quickly backed her up, stringing together three straight hits, including a Mel Rees single up the middle that brought in Sydney Grund. Samantha Kelepouris followed with a single and took advantage of a right field error to move into scoring position, helping plate another run. A disciplined at-bat resulted in a walk to load the bases, and Grace Motto delivered with a single to third, using her speed to beat it out while driving in two runs to cap a five-run inning.

Regis kept the pressure on in the second, as Megan Arruda dropped down a perfectly placed bunt that brought one run home, while a throwing error on the same play allowed two more to score. Madi Zancan added a two-RBI double, and additional RBI hits from Motto and Grund pushed the Pride's lead to 12-0 after just two innings.

The offense continued to produce in the third, combining timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and patience at the plate. Megan Arruda, Grace Motto, and Madigan Lawler each contributed RBI efforts as the Pride tacked on four more runs before the inning ended.

The Blazers managed to hold Regis scoreless in the fourth and broke up Julian's no-hit bid in the fifth, but the damage had already been done. Mya Gaspie came on in relief and struck out three batters to secure the dominant 16-0 victory.

Game Two, Regis 4-0 Elms

Elms recorded the game's first hit in the top of the first, but the Pride defense held strong and stranded the runner, doing the same an inning later to keep the game scoreless. In the bottom of the second, Lynsey Kay reached on an error, and Samantha Kelepouris followed with a hard-hit ball to short that put runners on the corners. Another Blazers miscue allowed Kay to score the game's first run, though pitcher Reece Hebert limited the damage by retiring the next two batters.

The Pride outfield took control in the third with a clean three-up, three-down inning, highlighted by a pair of catches from Kay and a grab in center by Francesca Licata. Kay sparked the offense again in the fourth, nearly clearing the fence before settling for a deep double. Kelepouris followed with a single to once again put runners on the corners, but Hebert and the Elms defense came through, including a key strikeout to keep it a one-run game.

In the top of the fifth, Elms threatened with a two-out rally and runners on the corners, but Megan Arruda made a diving catch to end the inning and preserve the 1-0 lead. Regis capitalized in the bottom half, taking advantage of Blazers miscues to bring in three runs and extend the lead to 4-0.

Though the Pride put runners on in the sixth with hits from Madigan Lawler and Madi Zancan, they were unable to add on. It wouldn't matter, as the pitching and defense shut the door, holding Elms hitless over the final two innings to secure the 4-0 victory and complete the GNAC shutout sweep.

Inside the Numbers

• Kate Julian delivered another dominant performance in the circle in game one, tossing four innings while allowing just one hit and no runs, striking out five to earn the win.
• The Pride's offense erupted for 16 hits in the opener, including a season-high seven extra-base hits from seven different players. Regis also posted a season-best 15 RBIs, with three players recording at least three RBIs. Grace Motto led the way with a career-high four, while Megan Arruda and Madi Zancan each added career-best three-RBI performances.
• Six players tallied multiple hits in game one, and 10 different players in the lineup recorded at least one hit, showcasing the depth of the Pride's offense.
• In game two, Mel Rees earned the win with a strong showing in the circle, pitching six shutout innings with five strikeouts. Samantha Kelepouris went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Gabby Blanchard drove in a pair of runs to lead the offense.
• Mya Gaspie closed out both contests in dominant fashion, striking out the side in the final inning of game one and then holding the Blazers hitless in the seventh inning of game two with one strikeout to seal the sweep.

Up Next

The Pride's game against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), originally scheduled for tomorrow, April 19, has been postponed and will be made up later this week.