DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University softball team moved to within a win of an unprecedented sixth straight Little East Conference regular-season championship Thursday evening with a 5-3, 9-4 sweep of Western Connecticut State University at the Westside Athletic Complex.
Eastern (23-4-1, 11-1 Little East) and Western (18-12, 9-3 Little East) entered the game sharing first place in the conference with two regular-season LEC games remaining after Thursday. The two-game series sweep was the third in as many years for Eastern, which extended its winning streak against Western to seven and extended its current unbeaten streak this year to nine (8-0-1).
Eastern can clinch its fifth outright regular-season title (it shared the 2014 championship with Plymouth State University) and at least a share of its sixth straight with one win Saturday when it visits Plymouth State for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Plymouth is 7-3 with doubleheaders remaining against Eastern Saturday and a 1 p.m. LEC road makeup doubleheader Sunday against Keene State College.
In the opener Thursday, the Warriors erased a 3-1 deficit by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth after there were two out and one on, and added another in the seventh, and senior Erin Miller (Waterford) and junior Emily Komornik (Shelton) combined on a seven-hitter. Miller improved to 9-2 and Komornik was credited with her second save. Junior third baseman Samantha Rentz (Griswold) drove in three runs with a bases-clearing double in the sixth which plated the tying and go-ahead runs. Junior leadoff hitter Alyssa Hancock (Waterford) had two doubles for the Warriors.
In the second game, the teams ranked 1-2 in the LEC in batting combined for 22 hits, but after commiting four errors in the opener, Western commited three more which led to three Eastern unearned runs. The Warriors never trailed and broke a 4-4 tie with a go-ahead run in the sixth after there were two out and none on, and added four more in the seventh on four hits and an error. In the sixth, Hancock singled and stole second and Rentz sent her in with a single to center to make it 5-4. In the seventh senior leftfielder Shannon Martin (Wethersfield) and Hancock each drove in two runs with singles.
Hancock and sophomore DP Kristyn Ryan (Barkhamsted) were both 4-for-4, with Hancock driving in five runs. Hancock improved her batting average 19 points by going 6-for-8 in the doubleheader to a conference-leading .535 (Arielle Cooper set the current program season mark of .538 in 2013). Hancock eclipsed the 50-hit plateau this year and now has 53.
Sophomore lefty Summer Cipriani (North Stonington) won her second game in as many decisions with five innings of relief. She was charged with one (unearned) run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Sophomore righty starter Samantha Valentine (Ridge, NY) was lifted without retiring a batter in the third while the hosts were scoring twice on a leadoff home run and bases loaded walk. Cipriani got a strikeout upon entering before walking in Western's second run of the inning and third of the game, but left the bases stranded with another strikeout and ground ball to Hancock at short.
Previously, Rhode Island College won five LEC regular-season titles between 2005 and 2009, with the 2008 championship shared with Eastern.
Eastern hosts Babson College in a 3:30 p.m. non-conference makeup doubleheader Friday at 3:30 p.m.
