NORTHEAST-10 CHAMPIONS !

SMITHFIELD,RI - The Bryant University softball team captured its second-straight Northeast-10 Conference Softball tournament championship in thrilling fashion Sunday as the Bulldogs pulled out a pair of dramatic wins over UMass Lowell in the title game. 

The Bulldogs took the hard road to win the title, defeating Southern Connecticut in the opener and then proceeded to win the first matchup with the River Hawks 6-5 as Vicci Duane hit a walk-off home run to force a deciding championship. 

In the final, Bryant's Jessica Valentini doubled off the center field fence to score Duane in the bottom of the eighth sending the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament for the second-straight year.

Game 1 Northeast-10 Tournament Championship

SMITHFIELD, RI (May 7, 2006) - The No. 1 seeded Bryant Bulldogs defeated the #2 UMass Lowell 6-5 on a walk-off homerun by sophomore Vicci Duane (West Haven ,CT) in the bottom of the seventh to give Bryant the game 1 victory in the Northeast-10 Tournament championship. UML falls to 33-19 on the year while Bryant improved to 28-16.

Freshman SS Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA) put the River Hawks ahead 4-0 in the top of the first with a grand slam to right field. After that starting pitcher Nikki Ingalls was pulled in favor of Janine Enos, who got the next three outs to end the inning.

Bryant began to chip away at the UML lead immediately, cutting the advantage in half 4-2 in the bottom of the first.  Victoria Duane belted a bases-loaded single to right field to bring two runs home with just one out on the board. 

The Bulldogs tied the game 4-4 in the third inning when Jennifer Serrano slugged a one out, bases-loaded single to left-center field, bringing home two runs.  Bryant was unable to capitalize further in the inning, despite having runners at first and second with just one out.  Junior CF Laurie Tanguay (Lowell, MA) made her first of two diving catches in the game to end the inning.

Jessica Valentini gave Bryant its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting an RBI-single to left field to score Amanda Wilbur, who had reached base with a leadoff double.

Junior OF Jachael Guanci (Everett, MA) answered in the top of the fifth, hitting an RBI double to left field to tie the game 5-5.

The River Hawks retired Bryant in order in the fifth and sixth innings, but a leadoff home run by Duane in the bottom of the seventh sealed the 6-5 victory for the Bulldogs.

Mahoney gave up 11 hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks while striking out five in the loss.  Ingalls gave up two hits and four runs (three earned) in the first inning before being relieved by Enos, who surrendered three hits and one unearned run while striking out four to earn the win.


Game 2 Northeast-10 Tournament Championship

SMITHFIELD, RI (May 7, 2006) - The No. 2 seed UMass Lowell River Hawks were swept by host No. 1 Bryant University this afternoon 6-5, 5-4 (8 innings) in the Northeast-10 Tournament.  Bryant successfully defended their tournament crown, having won its first-ever last season and improved to 29-16 overall tying a school record for wins in a season.

UML's second-place finish in the NE-10 Tournament is the best in program history; prior to this season the best the River Hawks had placed was fourth.  UML now stands at 33-20 and will await the NCAA Tournament Regional brackets, announced tomorrow morning.

Freshman SS Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA) gave the River Hawks a 2-0 first-inning lead with a two-run homer over the left field fence.  It was her second first-inning bomb of the day, as she pounded a grand slam in the morning opener.  The homer was Lajoie's ninth this campaign, breaking the school record for home runs in a season set by Amber Gagnon in 2001.

The Bulldogs sliced the lead in half 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single by DH Stephanie Mirando.

Bryant gained its first lead of the game 4-2 with three runs in the third inning.  Jordan Dargon walked to lead off the inning and came around to score on a throwing error.  Mirando clubbed a double to the right field fence to bring home an additional two runs.

The River Hawks mounted a sixth inning comeback, beginning with a single by lead off batter Jachael Guanci (Everett, MA).  She would come around to score on a double to the right field fence by pinch hitter Kristen Mahoney (Burlington, MA).  Sophomore C Julie Brodie (Chelmsford, MA) smacked a bases-loaded single into left field to bring home another run and tie the score 4-4.

UML fought off the Bulldogs in the sixth inning and retired the side in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

Bryant scored the winning run with two outs in the eighth inning when Jessica Valentini blasted an RBI double to deep center field, scoring Victoria Duane from first base.

Freshman Cyrilla Suker (Voorheesville, NY) suffered the loss for UML, surrendering eight hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks while striking out nine in 7.2 innings.  Janine Enos gave up 10 hits and four earned runs in 5.1 innings.  She was relieved by Jennifer Bernier, who threw 2.2 innings earning the win, gave up one hit and striking out two.  Enos was named the tournament MVP.