Eagle Softball Soars Over Nighthawks

Nashua - The Daniel Webster College softball team extended its winning streak to nine - the program's longest in 11 years - and continued to close in on the record for victories in a season with a 13-0, 18-8 sweep of Newbury College in NECC action Sunday at Eagle Field.

The victories improved the Eagles to 12-13-1 overall (7-4-1 NECC) as the squad moved within a game of tying the season wins record of 13, set by the 1998 club that finished 13-7.

The program record for consecutive victories is 11, also set by the 1998 team.

Freshman Sam Langlois (Raymond, N.H.) spun her second straight no-hit shutout blanking the Nighthawks (0-26, 0-12 NECC) over five innings in the opener, striking out 11 and walking one. It was her sixth straight victory as she improved to 8-6 overall.

Fellow rookie Amanda Wilson (Merrimack, N.H.) followed with a complete game victory in the nightcap as she improved to 4-6 on the season.

In the opener, the Eagles plated three runs in the first, five in the second, and five in the third finishing with 11 hits and were aided by five Newbury errors.

Tiana Winter (New Ipswich, N.H.) erupted for five RBI going 3 for 4 and scored three runs belting two-run singles in the first and second innings and an RBI single in the third.

Amanda Varricchio (Middletown, Conn.) went 3 for 4 and scored twice, while Lauren Chesnulevich (Hudson, N.H.) added two hits and knocked in one. Kristina Rieger (Concord, N.H.) and Mikaelia Ramnanan (Rahway, N.J.) knocked in a run apiece, while Amy Waller (Berlin, Mass.) doubled and scored twice.

In the nightcap, the Eagles again scored early and often, plating six in the first, two in the second and three in the third and broke open an 8-4 game with seven in the fourth.

Chesnulevich, who finished 5 for 7 on the day, paced the Eagle attack with three hits knocking in three, and scored three times. Varricchio and Theresa DiSantis (Hinsdale, Mass.) added two hits each, while April Molina (Fairfield, Conn.), Ramnanan, and Rieger added a hit and two RBI each.

Varricchio, Waller and Winter also scored three runs apiece.

Varricchio, who also went a combined 5 for 7 on the day, upper her season batting average to .531, a program season record for the Eagles this late in the season.

Katelyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) and Leanne Merritt (Fairfield, Conn.) led the Nighthawks with two hits and two RBI, while Olga Cepeda (Boston, Mass.) added two hits and took both losses on the mound.

The Eagles host Wheelock in a NECC doubleheader Tuesday while Newbury visits Anna Maria. Both doubleheaders begin at 3:30 p.m.

- Game story submitted by Ken Belbin - SID, Daniel Webster College