RAIDERS ELIMINATE LYNX AT NCAA N.E. REGIONAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

Providence, RI—Seventh-seeded Rivier eliminated fifth-seeded Lesley, 1-0, in game five of the 2008 NCAA Div. III New England Regional Softball Tournament, hosted by Rhode Island College at the Dayna A. Bazar Softball Complex.

The Raiders (25-13) will face the winner of Wellesley vs. Bridgewater State (game six) this afternoon at 4 p.m. in an elimination contest. The Lynx (30-12) end their season in the loss.

Rivier sophomore starting pitcher Monica White (Augusta, Maine) earned her 21^st win (21-8), allowing just five hits to earn her ninth shutout of the season. White struck out 13 batters in the victory.

Rivier scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman third baseman Nikki Bondanza (Shrewsbury, Mass.) reached on a fielder’s choice and junior first baseman Ann Marie Day (Cornish, Maine) singled to right field to put runners on the corners. Bondanza raced home on a ground ball error.

The Lynx kept the game close and stopped a Raiders’ scoring chance in the fifth. Freshman right fielder Shannon Mansfield (Pelham. N.H.) smacked a leadoff single to right field, was sacrificed to second and moved up to third on a passed ball. Mansfield was cut down at home while she was trying to score on a weak grounder back to Lesley junior starting pitcher Alicia Burnett (Gulf Breeze, Fla.). Sophomore catcher Jodi Fralick (Woburn, Mass.) did a good job of blocking the plate to prevent the run.

Burnett took the loss (17-7), allowing one unearned run on four hits, while striking out three.

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