Wellesley Knocks 7th-Seed, Rivier Raiders, Out of NCAA Regional Tournament (5/10/08)

The Wellesley Blue only needed five innings Saturday morning to eliminiate the Rivier Raiders (25-14) from the 2008 NCAA DIII New England Softball Regional Tournament. In an 8-0 decision and do-or-die game, Wellesley jumped on the board early in the game as they scored runs in the second, third, and fourth innings. The win enables Wellesley to face off against Tufts University, the Tournament's second seed, in Saturday's 4 p.m. match-up. Senior, Jenna Harvey, who served as a designated player for the game scored the Blue's first run on a passed ball after she had reached base via a single in the bottom of the second inning. Harvey would once again play a part in Wellesley's second tally of the game as her RBU single in the bottom of the third inning led to a Senior, Meghan Sullivan score. After Sullivan's homeplate crossing, Sophomore, Alex Warren, looped a double to the outfield and eventually scored on a Senior, Alex Coari, RBI single.

Heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Blue, still up 3-0, erupted with five runs, thus ending the game. Of these five runs scored in the bottom of the fifth inning, a First-Year, Alison Davis double contributed to two runs being scored; she picked up two RBIs on the blast. Offensively, Coari led Wellesley with two RBIs and was a perfect 3-3 at the plate in the game. Junior hurler, Beej Grundlock, picked up her fourth shutout on the year, her tenth W, allowed three hits, and struck out eleven Raider batters.