Box Score
NEWPORT, R.I. – The Salve Regina softball team walked off with an 8-0 win over Gordon College's Fighting Scots in the Commonwealth Coast Conference play in game, Saturday afternoon at Toppa Field. The loss marked Gordon's first appearance in the CCC tournament since 2008 as they ended their season with a record of 13-23 and 4-14 in conference. After taking a 7-0 lead into the sixth inning, senior Jillian Quintana (Denver, Colo.) hit a sacrifice fly to score junior Marissa Simpson (Brimfield, Mass.) and give the Seahawks an 8-0 win over Gordon.

Despite Rachel Ryder (So./Telford, Pa.) starting the day with a double for the Scots, Gordon was unable to produce on offense.

Salve Regina plated a pair of runs in the first and the second inning to take a quick 4-0 lead. Senior Ali Muehlbronner (Glenside, Pa.) led off the game with a double to center field before coming around to score on a groundout from Simpson. Junior Jennifer Edine (Warwick, R.I.)pushed the Seahawks lead to 2-0 with a single up the middle to score freshman Melissa Figueiredo (East Bridgewater, Mass.). Senior pitcher Jen Cruver (North Haven, Conn.) helped herself out with an RBI single before Figueiredo brought Cruver home to give Salve Regina a 4-0 lead.

The Scots were not ready to give up yet as they loaded the bases in the third inning after capitalizing on a Seahawk error followed by singles from Marissa Meenan (Fr./Wayne, Pa.) and Skylar Bareford (Jr./Stonington, Conn.). Salve Regina buckled down on defense and closed out the inning with no runs crossing the plate, leaving three Gordon runners stranded.

Gordon's junior pitcher Kelly Beardslee (Thomaston, Conn.) and Salve's Cruver traded 1-2-3 innings, before the Seahawks broke open the game in the fourth. Salve Regina added three more runs to push its lead to 7-0 on four hits in the inning. Muehlbronner singled home Cruver before Figueiredo brought home Muehlbronner with a sacrifice fly. Senior Megan Jakiela (Meriden, Conn.) extended Salve Regina’s lead with a single to score Simpson and give SRU a 7-0 lead in the foruth.

Cruver sat down opposing batters in order for the second time in the game in the fifth to keep Gordon at bay. Salve Regina had a chance to end the game in the bottom of that inning with a runner in scoring position and two outs but Gordon got out of the inning unscathed.

Gordon got a runner on in the top of the sixth but a strike out from Cruver and an induced groundout ended the inning before Quintana ended the game with a sacrifice fly.

Cruver got the win for Salve Regina sending the Seahawks into the CCC tournament with a win under their belt. The Seahawks will play number-four seeded University of New England at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 29.

Portions of release courtesy of Salve Regina sports information