CNE SEMIFINALS: Top-Seeded Softball Falls To WNE In Heartbreaker, 6-5

BEVERLY, Mass. — The third-seeded Western New England scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a four-run deficit and the top-seeded Endicott softball team dropped a 6-5 heartbreaker to the Golden Bears in Conference of New England (CNE) semifinal action on Thursday afternoon in Beverly.

WP (14-9): Evelyn Picone (Mamaroneck, N.Y.)– 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LP (9-3): Kristen Beebe (Brentwood, N.H.) – 0.1 IP, 2 H 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
SV (1): Ava Blanchard (New Hartford, Conn.) – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Western New England was able to erase a 5-1 deficit in the sixth behind three different run-scoring singles in the frame including a go-ahead two-run single from Nicole Salanto that made it a 6-5 game.

Trailing by a run, the Gulls got the tying run on base via an error but ultimately came up just short.

Endicott got on the board first with three runs in the first including consecutive RBI singles from Elyse Saccoccio (Coventry, R.I.) and Paige Berdos (Plainville, Mass). Ella Tower (Windham, N.H.) reached on an error which allowed a third run to score and later added an RBI single in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-0.

Abby McClaflin's (Easthampton, Mass.) solo shot in the top of the fifth gave the Gulls a 5-0 lead for the time being. In the circle for Endicott, Jaylin Couto (Taunton, Mass.) got the start and gave up just an unearned run on four hits to go along with four walks and a strikeout in five innings of work.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Berdos, McClaflin and Saccoccio all tallied multi-hit games for Endicott and the latter two also scored two runs apiece.
• McClaflin's home run was her sixth of the season, which is tied for tops in the CNE.
• First Endicott loss to WNE since 4/7/23.
• Gulls must win three consecutive games in order to win the inaugural CNE Championship.

WHAT'S NEXT

Top-seeded Endicott (22-14) hosts second-seeded Nichols on Saturday at x PM. WNE (25-15-1) advances to the CNE Championship. Game one will be played on Saturday, after the conclusion of the Nichols vs. Endicott matchup. 

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(Photo Credit - Jonah Bean '28)