Nighthawks Drop First Semifinals Contest to Lynx

BOSTON – The Newbury College softball team fell to the number one seed Lesley University, 8-0, in the first game of New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) semifinals Friday morning at UMass-Boston’s Clark Athletics Center Field.

Starting pitcher Jennifer Dorval (Franklin, NH/Franklin) struck out 12 in five innings, allowing only a single hit and three walks in shutting down the Nighthawks.

Dorval struck out two in the top of the first before Lesley quietly batted around with seven runs on eight singles and a costly passed ball. Leading 3-0, Maria Nazzaro’s (North Reading, MA/St. Mary’s RBI single made it a 5-0 game, and the freshman right fielder came around to score all the way from second on a passed ball to make it a 7-0 game after one.

Dorval held the Nighthawks in check all morning, fanning 10 in her first four innings, but Newbury starter Rebecca Roach (Charlton, MA/Shepherd Hill) settled down after the rocky first, keeping the Lynx off the board in the following four innings.

Nazzaro scored on a Gabrielle Brixey (Coalinga, CA/West Hills CC) single in the fifth, as the Lynx won, 5-0, in five.

Brixey enjoyed a perfect 4-for-4 day with a run scored, an RBI and her league-leading fifth triple. Nazzaro went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in support of Dorval, who improved to 14-2.

For Newbury, Teressa Hylinski (Strafford, NH/Strafford) went 1-for-3 in the loss.

In this double elimination conference tournament, the Nighthawks are still alive. They return to the diamond this afternoon when they face the loser of the second semifinals game of the day between second seeded Elms College and third seeded Mitchell College at 2:00pm. Lesley will play the winner in the fourth and final game of the afternoon at 4:00pm.

- Game story provided by: Ryan McCarthy, Sports Information Director - Lesley University