Providence, RI --- Fourth-seeded Rhode Island College downed #5 Worcester State, 4-1, in game two at the Providence Regional of the 2011 NCAA Divsion III Softball Championship played at RIC's Dayna A. Bazar Softball Complex.
The Anchorwomen (34-11) advance to play top-seed Eastern Connecticut (31-4) on Friday, in a rematch of the 2011 Little East Conference Tournament Championship Game from Saturday afternoon at 2 PM. RIC is winless in three tries against ESCU this spring.
The Lancers (28-10) will play an elimination game with #8 Husson (25-17) tomorrow morning at 10 AM. RIC has now defeated Worcester State three times this season and 11 straight games dating back to the 2001 campaign. The Blue and Gold will be the designated home team against the Eagles.
RIC senior Amanda Berard (Swansea, MA) struck out 10 and earned her 14th win of the season. Berard (14-5) dominated the Lancer lineup as she set down 15 consecutive batters between the first and sixth inning. Berard finished allowing one run on five hits in her 10th complete game.
Worcester State threatened in the top of the first as junior Erica Cordio (Leominster, MA) led off with a double and was sacrificed to third. Sophomore Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, MA) walked then stole second to put runners on second and third, but Berard responded with back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.
RIC added an insurance run in the home half of the fifth. With one away, senior Doniellle Mattoon (Coventry, RI) singled over shortstop and classmate Chelsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, MA) singled to right. Mahoney got junior Cristina Bailey (Londonderry, NH) to pop out to the catcher, but senior Amanda Perry's (New Bedford, MA) seeing-eye single to right brought in the speedy Mattoon.
The Lancers finally broke through against Berard in the sixth. With one out, Cardio laced a liner to third for an infield single. Junior Ashley Howe (Winchendon, MA) singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Lamoureux singled to right field, but Gingell gunned down Cardio at the plate.
The aggresive play proved costly for WSU as Mahoney followed by crushing a single to left field, but Howe was the lone Lancer to score. Berard composed herself to notch a strikeout and get out of the inning.
The Anchorwomen quickly got the run back in the bottom of the frame. With two down, Kayla Jandreau singled to right field and used her speed to score from first on her sister's, sophomore second baseman Marisa Jandreau (New Britain, CT), RBI double off the right field wall.
Gingell went 2-for-3 with a run scored and contributed the game-changing assist from right field. Pokora went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI triple.
Cordio went 2-for-3 with a double as the only mult-hitter for the visitors. Mahoney (16-3) took the loss, allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits. Mahoney tied her career low for strikeouts finishing with just two punchouts in her six innings of work.
Release Courtesy of Rhode Island College Sports Information