Cape Cod, MA --- Worcester State has been slotted as the seventh seed in this week's ECAC Division III New England Softball Tournament and will play at #2 Brandeis on Wednesday at 3 PM in the play-in Quarterfinal round.
The rest of the tournament field, which will also play on Wednesday, includes eighth-seed Becker traveling to #1 Wheaton while on the other side of the bracket pits #6 University of New England at third-seeded Keene State and #4 Western New England hosts fifth-seed Norwich.
The winners move on to a double-elimination Semifinal tournament at the site of the highest remaining seed on Saturday and Sunday. Both squads actually played during the regular season and split a pair of identical 2-1 contests in Waltham.
Worcester State (23-17) makes their ninth ECAC Division III appearance since the 1984 season and their third in the last four campaigns. Since 1986, the Lancers are 8-13 and won the 1990 New England Division III North Championship.
The Lancers are paced by a one-two punch in the starting rotation that includes senior Hannah Everson (Methuen, MA) and freshman Meghan Rich (Chelmsford, MA).
Everson has posted a 9-7 record with a sparkling 0.72 earned run average with 98 strikeouts in 116 innings and 15 complete games in as many starts. Rich has been an impact rookie finishing the regular season at 9-6, a 1.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 102 frames of work. Rich has also yielded a paltry 10 walks to set the single-season school record.
Senior Kylene Pease (Ashland, MA) ties for the MASCAC lead with a .371 batting average to go with 19 runs and 17 RBIs. The Blue and Gold are also among the nation's leaders with a 0.972 fielding percentage which includes 34 miscues in 40 games.
Brandeis (23-18) earns their sixth bid to the ECAC Tournament which includes an appearances in the finals in each of the last two years and an ECAC crown in 2008.
The Judges are paced by sophomore Amanda Genovese (N. Haven, CT) who is batting .452 with 35 runs, 15 RBIs to go with 66 base-knocks and an NCAA Division III best 56 swipes. First-year Danielle Navotny (Milford, NJ) is among six other student-athletes batting over .300 with 21 runs scored, 14 doubles and a team-best 26 RBIs.
Junior Melissa Nolan (Windsor, CT) is also 9-7 with 13 complete games, a 3.30 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 95.1 innings while senior Casey Ducinski (Duxbury, MA) is 9-7 in the circle with a 3.44 ERA and 10 complete games.
2013 ECAC Division III New England Softball Tournament Bracket