Box Score WALTHAM, Mass. – The third-seeded Albertus Magnus College Falcons scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to overcome a 3-2 deficit and then held off the second-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies in the bottom of the seventh for a 5-4 victory to eliminate USM from the 2015 ECAC Division III New England Softball Championship Sunday afternoon at Brandeis University.
With the loss, Southern Maine's season comes to a conclusion at 24-20. Albertus Magnus improved to 27-14 with the win before falling to top-seeded Brandeis University 9-4 in the championship game to end its season at 27-15.
Southern Maine's 24-20 record marks the program's first winning record since the 2006 season when USM was 23-21. The Huskies' 24 wins are the most since the 2004 seasons when they were 33-11-1, while their appearance in the postseason was also their first since the 2006 season.
Trailing 1-0 after the top of the first as AMC's Alyssa Puccilli had an RBI single to plate the game's first run, Southern Maine jumped ahead with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman Amber Kelly doubled down the right field line to score classmate Taylor Lux (Arundel, Maine/Thorton Academy) to bring her team even with AMC, before junior Mary Caron (Lewiston, Maine/St. Dominic's) drove in the go ahead run with an RBI single up the middle to score Kelly. Sophomore Samantha Crosman's sacrifice fly to left field scored senior Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) for a 3-1 USM lead.
The score remained 3-1 in favor of the Huskies through three full innings, before AMC trimmed its deficit to just one run in the top of the fourth. PUccilli led off the inning with a single up the middle and then came around to score on a Huskies' fielding error. Amanda Jessey had a bunt single that was misplayed and led to Puccilli crossing home plate.
Despite the miscue in the fourth, USM stayed in front of the Falcons and led until the top of the sixth when AMC scored three runs (all unearned) on one hit and three USM fielding errors. Kelly got Puccilli out swinging for the first out of the inning, before the first error of the inning allowed the game-tying runner Jessey on first. A sacrifice bunt moved Jessey to second and Daysia Wehder made it a 3-3 game with an RBI single through the left side to score Jessey unearned. Weheder's single was misplayed in the outfield and allowed her to move to second on the play. AMC scored its final two runs on another outfield error by the Huskies for the 5-3 lead.
Southern Maine threatened in the bottom of the sixth with a lead off single from Caron but an infield pop up and an inning-ending double-play kept it 5-3 heading into the final inning of the game. Kelly pitched her way around a two-out single to keep the Falcons off of the scoreboard but the Huskies could generate just one run on an RBI single from freshman Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) for the 5-4 final.
Kelly was the hard-luck loser for USM allowing five runs, all unearned, in the loss. She scattered eight hits over seven innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. AMC's Megan Ferraro earned the win allowing four runs, two earned, on eight hits and a walk in six innings. Samantha Maselli earned her third save of the season allowing one hit in one inning of work.
Notes: USM senior Kristen Duross ended her career with 145 hits, 82 runs, 25 doubles, 10 triple sand five home runs. In 156 games, Duross drove in a career 83 RBIs and had a .311 batting average in 466 career at bats. She is tied for fifth in career games played (156), at-bats (466) and triples, 10th in runs scored and hits, 11th in doubles, 13th in home runs and seventh in RBI.
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, May 6, 2015
No. 1 Brandeis University (19-14) – First Round bye
No. 2 University of Southern Maine (23-18) – First Round bye
No. 3 Albertus Magnus College (25-13) vs. No. 6 Newbury College (20-14) – 7-4
No. 4 Suffolk University (25-14) vs. No. 5 Becker College (20-15) –Suffolk 3-2
Semifinals – Saturday, May 9, 2015 at Brandeis University
Game # 1 - No. 1 Brandeis (19-14) vs. winner of No. 4 Suffolk (25-16) – Brandeis – 10-5
Game # 2 - No. 2 Southern Maine (24-18) vs. winner of No. 3 Albertus Magnus (25-14) – USM 4-2
Game # 3 – No. 4 Suffolk (25-15) vs. No. 3 Albertus Magnus (26-14) – Albertus Magnus 2-1
Game # 4 – No. 1 Brandeis vs. No. 2 USM – Brandeis 8-0 (5)
Championship – Sunday, May 10, 2015 at Brandeis University
Game # 5 – No. 2 USM vs. No. 3 Albertus Magnus – Albertus Magnus 5-4
Game # 6 – No. 1 Brandeis vs. No. 3 Albertus Magnus – Brandeis 9-4
Brandeis Wins 2015 ECAC DIII New England Championship
**Double Elimination Format
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