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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The end result of Saturday's NCAA East Regional contest between top-seeded Southern Connecticut State University and No. 5 seeded UMass-Lowell wasn't decided until the final play of the game. However, shortstop Nicole Buch (Darien, Conn.) fired home to catcher Stacy Pouliot (Mystic, Conn.) to cut down the tying run and preserve a 5-4 Owls' win over the River Hawks. Southern Connecticut (39-10) advances to Sunday's regional final at noon and need just one more win to advance to the NCAA Super Regional.

The game was tied at 4-4 heading into the final inning. Southern Connecticut's rally began with two outs when Kate Hoffman (Orange, Conn.) placed a double into short left field. After a walk to Jessica Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.), Pouliot connected for a RBI single through the left side that plated pinch runner Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.).

In the bottom of the frame, Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) sandwiched a walk to Meagan Guy around two outs. Elyssa Boris then followed with a single through the right side. Guy easily made it to third base on the hit, but Boris attempted to advance to second on the throw into the infield. The Owls made a throw to second base, but Buch alertly threw home as Guy attempted to score the tying run. Pouliot absorbed contact, but held on to the ball to secure the win.

Southern Connecticut was in control for much of the first four and a half innings. Playing as the visitors, the Owls started the game off on the right foot when Brittany Bucko (Wallington, N.J.) launched her team-high 18th home run of the year.

UMass-Lowell tied the game in the third, but SCSU countered with two runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth.

The fourth inning threat began with a single by Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.), who moved to second base on an error one out later. After an intentional walk to Rosa, Pouliot laced a single up the middle to score Downs for a 2-1 lead. The next batter, Julie Muscarella (Suffield, Conn.) followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Rosa to extend the cushion to two runs.

The Owls added one more in the fifth. Buch singled, moved to second on a groundout and came in on a RBI single by Rosa.

However, the River Hawks tied the game with three runs in the fifth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Caelyn Ford blooped a double down the right field line that cleared the bases.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.- Jessica Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) connected on a bases loaded RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to send the No. 16 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut softball team past Stonehill and into the next round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Tuesday afternoon at Pelz Field. SCSU defeated the Skyhawks 4-3.

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II East Regional ranking update. These weekly rankings are used to determine NCAA tournament selection scheduled to start after the end of the conference tournament.
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COLCHESTER, VERMONT - The Southern Connecticut State University softball team split their double header at Saint Michael’s today. The Owls won the first game in the fifth due to mercy rule, 10-4, but fell short giving up four in the bottom of the seventh to lose the second game, 4-3.

Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.) took the mound for the first game and went five strong giving up just one earned off four hits. She improves to 5-7 on the season.

The Owls had all the momentum from the start scoring six runs in the first with three of them coming off a Kristin Whitley home run after Jillian Thibault (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) and Brittany Bucko (Wallington, N.J.) both reached base. Two batters later, Jessica Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) cleared the base pads with a shot to center field after Stacy Pouliot (Mystic, Conn.) reached on an error to the short stop.

Back to back doubles by Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) and Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.) in the top of the second put the owls up to a comfortable 9-0 lead. The Owls made the lead an even 10 off a Shawna Mallory (Simi Valley, Cali.) single to left to plate Pagano.

Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) pitched an absolute gem giving up one hit through the first six and looking to record her second one hitter in less than a week when trouble struck. The Owls’ defense gave up four runs (one earned) off four hits with two errors to blow a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh

The two leadoff hitters, Thibault and Bucko, recorded two hits a piece with a run scored for Thibault and a RBI for Bucko. Julie Muscarella (Suffield, Conn.) and Jessica Bonneville (Vernon, Conn.) each scored a run.

The Owls are now 20-15 overall and 13-7 in conference.

The Owls will be back in action Monday at home against American Int'l for a makeup scheduled earlier in the season with the first pitch to go out at 3 p.m.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- In the first weekend of Ivy League softball divisional play, Harvard and Penn recorded series sweeps, Dartmouth took three-of-four from Yale and Cornell and Columbia split their series in New York.

With its four-game sweep over Brown, Harvard moved to a three-game lead in the North Division standings. Dartmouth’s three wins at Yale kept the Big Green in second place in the North. Penn’s sweep of Princeton vaulted the Quakers into second place in the South and they now trail division leaders Cornell by just one game, thanks in part to Columbia’s split with the Big Red.

PLAYER & ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman third baseman/designated player Kasey Lange (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) paced the Crimson offensive attack last week as she batted .591 over the course of seven games in which Harvard posted a 6-1 record. She totaled 18 RBI and slugged 1.182 for the week with a .593 on base percentage. Lange also played error-free softball in seven games started at third base en route to claiming both the Ivy League Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week honors. It is her first career Player of the Week honor and her second Rookie of the Year award (April 5).

Lange opened the week with three home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Holy Cross. Also in mid-week non-conference action, Lange drove in Harvard’s lone run in its 4-1 loss to ACC rival Boston College.

Lange’s offensive momentum continued into the Crimson’s four-game sweep of North Division rival Brown over the weekend. She batted .538 versus the Bears, added eight RBI, scored three runs and recorded two doubles. With the two doubles to close out her weekend, Lange reached 17 on the year to lead the League and set the single-season record at Harvard. Lange also has an active seven-game RBI streak.

Lange’s Weekly Stats
7 GP, 22 AB, 6 R, 13 H, 18 RBI, 4 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB, 2 SAC, .591 Avg., 1.182 Slg.%, .593 OBP, 1.000 Fldg.%

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Prophet Gaspard (Abbeville, La.) posted a 2-1 record for Columbia last week, with all three of her appearances coming against South Division leader Cornell. Gaspard went the distance in both of her starts and also pitched 3.2 innings of relief in her final appearance of the weekend. Gaspard retired the final 19 batters she faced over the weekend, closing with a stingy 0.40 ERA and a .119 batting-average against.

Gaspard allowed just one earned run over 17.2 innings pitched. The first-year allowed just three hits in the first game of the series, and entered the seventh inning with a 1-0 lead but Ali Tomlinson connected on a two-run homer to give Cornell the come-from-behind 2-1 win in the series opening pitcher’s duel.

After Tomlinson’s home run, Gaspard scattered four hits over 10.2 innings pitched, including a four-hit, complete-game shutout on Sunday as the Big Red downed Cornell 6-0. It marks Gaspard’s second Weekly Ivy award, as she was named the League’s Rookie of the Year on March 22.

Gaspard’s Weekly Stats
0.40 ERA, 2-1, 3 App., 2 GS, 2 CG, 1 SHO, 17.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 13 SO, 3 BB

HONOR ROLL
Marissa Amiraian, Cornell, Sr., OF (Latham, N.Y.)
6 GP, 18 AB, 2 R, 8 H, 1 RBI, 1 3B, 3 BB, 1 SB, .444 Avg., .524 OBP, 1.000 Fldg.%

Chelsey Dunham, Yale, Fr., P (Fairfax Station, Va.)
1.83 ERA, 1-1, 3 App., 2 GS, 2 CG, 15.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 17 SO

Evan Gray, Dartmouth, So., P (Edmond, Okla.)
1.14 ERA, 1-0, 2 App., 2 GS, 1 CG, 12.1 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 SO, 1 BB

Cailyn Hennessy, Penn, Jr., P (Freehold, N.J.)
1.00 ERA, 2-0, 2 App., 2 GS, 2 CG, 14 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 SO, 1 BB

Maggie Johnson, Columbia, Sr., P (Danville, Calif.)
1.35 ERA, 0-1, 2 App., 2 GS, 1 CG, 10.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB
Batting: 4 GP, 8 AB, 3 R, 5 H, 5 RBI, 3 HR, .625 Avg., 1.000 Fldg.%

Laura Ricciardone, Harvard, Fr., P (Slidell, La.)
0.50 ERA, 2-0, 3 App., 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 14 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 SO, 0 BB

Allison Scott, Harvard, Fr., C (Alpine, Calif.)
7 GP, 24 AB, 5 R, 13 H, 8 RBI, 4 2B, 3 HR, .542 Avg., 1.083 Slg.%,

Molly Khalil, Dartmouth, Jr., C/DP (Seal Beach, Ontario)
4 GP, 9 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 BB, .444 Avg., 1.000 Slg.%, .643 OBP, 1.000 Fldg.%

McKynlee Westman, Yale, Sr., C (Smithville, Mo.)
4 GP, 10 AB, 4 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 SAC, .400 Avg., .958 Fldg.%

Kelsey VandeBergh, Princeton, Jr., IF (Beaverton, Ore.)
4 GP, 9 AB, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HBP, .556 Avg., .556 Slg.%, .692 OBP

Mikenzie Voves, Penn, Fr., P (Maple Valley, Wash.)
2.00 ERA, 2-0, 2 App., 2 GS, 2 CG, 14 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 11 SO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) of the Southern Connecticut State University softball team competed threw a no hitter Bentley College today at Pelz Field, while Brittany Hill (Durham Conn.) threw a one hitter. The Owls won both games on the back of two stellar performances by both starting pitchers to win the first game 5-0 and the second 6-0.

Hill improves to 3-7 on the season by throwing a one hitter through seven allowing just three base runners off a single and two walks.

In the first game, Brittany Bucko (Wallington, N.J.) led off the bottom of the fourth with a long double to the left field fence off a 0-2 count. Two outs later, Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) drove in Bucko off a single to left field to put the Owls up 1-0. Bucko again had a two strike single to start off the bottom of the third, stole a base, then moved to third off an Allison Lehner (East Islip, N.Y.) slap bunt to the catcher. The very next batter Jillian Thibault (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) cleared the bases with a home run to left to put the owls up to a comfortable lead of 4-0. Stacy Pouliot (Ledyard, Conn.) singled to start off the bottom of sixth inning and was later driven in by Bucko.

In the second half of the double header, Larson threw a no hitter and started off the game mowing down eight of the first 10 batters she faced. She registered 14 strike outs on the day and improved to 10-4 on the season.

Downs started off the bottom of the second frame with a double to deep left. She moved over to third on a single by Jessica Rosa (Wallington, Conn.) and scored off an illegal pitch by the Bentley pitcher to go ahead 1-0.

Bucko gets her fourth hit of the day to lead off the bottom of the third followed by a single by Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) and both runners driven in by Downs with a double down the left field line for a 3-0 lead. Pouliot reached on a fielder’s choice followed by a shot to right by Rosa for a double to plate two. Everyone seems to hit in the bottom of the third, Jessica Bonneville follows suit with a tripled to right to score Rosa to lead 6-0.

The Owls are 17-14 overall on the season with a 10-6 conference record.

The Owls will be back in action on April 20th as they travel to Le Moyne for a double header.

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Stacy Pouliot of the Southern Connecticut State University softball team hit a grand slam in the top half of the seventh inning to pull out a win in the first half of a double header at Merrimack scoring where the Owls scored five of their eight runs in the last two innings to pull out an 8-7 victory. The Owls fell by a score of 6-3 in the second game of the day.

In game one, Jessica Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) records the win and improves to 4-2 on the season by pitching two innings in relief of Brittany Hill (Durham, Conn.) who got roughed up early for five earned in the first three innings. Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) picked up her second save of the year facing five batters in one inning of relief.

Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) has been on fire since being bumped up to the two spot in the lineup. She hit a three run shot to left center in the top half of the third. Jillian Thibault (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) contributed three hits on four trips to the plate scoring a run, while Alyssa Pagano added two hits and a run.

Larson (7-4) went seven innings giving up six earned and pitched a shut out second half of the game the last three innings after giving up four in the bottom of the fourth inning losing the decision by a score of 6-3.

The Owls seemed to go dormant after jumping out to a quick 3-1 lead in the top half of the first poised to take two from Merrimack. In the top half of the first, Priest hit her second home run of the day scoring Brittany Bucko (Wallington, N.J.) after a lead-off walk. Thibault continued her outstanding play from the shortstop position going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

The Owls are now 12-11 on the season with a 5-5 conference record.

The Owls will be back in action tomorrow for a double header at UMass-Lowell scheduled to start at 12 p.m.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – For the second consecutive year, Southern Connecticut State University catcher Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.) has been named to the Northeast-10 Conference Softball All-Academic Team. Lee recently concluded an outstanding senior season that also saw her collect First-Team All-Conference and All-Region laurels, as well as First-Team Academic All-District honors by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

To be eligible for selection to the academic teams, a student-athlete must have met and/or exceeded the following minimum requirements: participated in at least half of the team’s competitions and be either a starter or significant contributor; achieved a 3.3 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale); and completed at least one academic year at his/her current institution.

Lee ranked third in the Northeast-10 in runs scored (46), fourth in hits (63) and seventh in triples (5). She was second on the squad with a .366 batting average and tallied 25 runs batted in.

Lee helped the Owls to a 42-win campaign that included a Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament East Regional finals.

She was a biology major with a 3.78 cumulative grade point average.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team’s 2010 season came to a close on Sunday afternoon, as the Owls dropped a 4-2 decision to No. 10 nationally ranked New Haven on the final day of the NCAA East Region Softball Tournament at the University of New Haven. With the loss, SCSU concluded its strongest campaign in program history with a 42-13 overall mark.

UNH wasted little time getting the bats going, producing the game’s first run in the top of the opening frame. Chelsea Harold came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Nicole Downs for the early 1-0 lead. Later on in the top of the third, Shannon Angehr added to the Charger advantage with a solo homerun to leftfield.

The Owls produced their first run in the fourth inning, when senior Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.) led off with a double down the leftfield line. Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) moved her over to third on a fly-ball to right, where Kristin Whitley (North Andover, Mass.) ripped an RBI single back through the circle. The Owls trailed 2-1 after four innings of play.

The Chargers got one back in the fifth on an RBI triple, but the Owls quickly responded in the bottom of the sixth. Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.) paced the rally with a leadoff single and advanced to second after a walk to Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.). Stacy Pouliot (Mystic, Conn.) came through with a clutch two-out single through the right side, cutting SCSU’s deficit to just one run.

Unfortunately for Southern, the Chargers quickly answered with a solo homerun in their next at-bat, providing enough insurance for the win. Starting pitcher Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) went the distance for the Owls, tossing seven strong innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and striking out three.

UNH advances to the NCAA East Super Regional next week and will take Molloy College in West Haven, Conn.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team capped off its best regular season in program history with its first Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship, as the Owls eliminated the Yellowjackets of AIC on Sunday afternoon at the University of New Haven Softball Field. SCSU defeated AIC by the final score of 12-0 though five innings for its first NE-10 title. Senior Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) led the way with six RBI in the win, automatically sending SCSU to into the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament next weekend.

The victory marked Southern's ninth consecutive win dating back to the regular season and improved its overall record to 40-11.

Through the first two innings of play, neither team managed to string anything together offensively. However, in the top of the third frame, Caporossi changed all of that with one swing of the bat. Brittany Bucko (Wallington, N.J.) began the rally with a single to leftfield, quickly followed by a Yellowjacket error, leaving Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.) at first and Bucko at second. Caporossi stepped into the batters box and laced three-run homerun over the leftfield fence for a 3-0 lead. The blast marked Caporossi’s team-leading 12th of the season.

The Owls kept the bats going in the next inning, tacking on five more runs on six hits. Alyssa Downs (Seymour, Conn.) and Julianne Flood (Poughquag, N.Y.) led off the frame with back-to-back singles through the left side. Bucko proceeded to push the first run across the dish with an RBI single up the middle, followed by an infield single from Lee. After a wild pitch with the bases loaded, Caporossi lined two run double off the leftfield fence, moving to third base on the throw to home. Bucko lifted a sacrifice fly to leftfield to score Caporossi and Alyssa Pagano (Monroe, Conn.) capped off the rally with a solo homerun to leftfield for a 9-0 advantage.

Southern concluded the scoring summary with three runs on three hits in the fifth inning. Downs led off with a solo homerun to leftfield, while Lee and Caporossi both recorded RBI singles through the right side of the infield. The 12 runs scored tallied the second most all season for the Owls.

Sophomore Jayme Larson (Aurora, Colo.) only needed one of those 12 runs, tossing a complete game shutout for her 16th win of the season. She allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out three in the outing.

The Owls return to action May 14 with the opening day of the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will be held on Monday morning at 10 a.m. All of the action can be seen at www.ncaa.com.