UNION, N.J. – Riding a 21-game winning streak into the NCAA Division III softball regional in Union, N.J, No. 3 nationally-ranked and top seed Eastern Connecticut State University overcame a late-inning deficit and 35-minute rain delay to defeat fourth-seeded Waynesburg University, 4-3, in the opening round of the four-team double-elimination regional tournament, hosted by Kean University at Kean Alumni Stadium.

The Warriors (38-4) will face second-seeded Kean (31-8) Saturday at noon after the Cougars took down third-seeded Alfred University (25-15) in the first game of the day, 3-1. The winner of that game will go to the championship game Sunday at noon while the loser plays at 4:30 p.m. in an elimination game.

Two consecutive singles by graduate outfielders' Cassie Woods (Mystic) and Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) and a ground ball by senior first baseman Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange) gave Eastern its first scoring threat against the Yellow Jackets. Sophomore shortstop Kayla Gratton's costly one-out error on a groundball chopped by senior third baseman Julia SanGiovanni (East Haven) allowed Woods and Tyrrell to score, giving the Warriors a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

Mounting an immediate response, Waynesburg (27-10) got two on via the walk against sophomore right-hander Alexis Michon (Montville) in the fourth, ending her afternoon after 3 2/3 innings and giving way to senior right-hander Morgan Bolduk (Vernon) in relief. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases against Bolduk with two outs after a single by sophomore first baseman Emma Bliss.

First-year starting lefty pitcher Sydney Wilson gave her team the lead, 3-2, in the following at-bat with a three-run double just inside the left field line and out of the reach of junior outfielder Carley Stoker's (Sandy Creek, NY) diving attempt. The hit ended Michon's line having given up two runs on one hit with four strikeouts, and three walks.

Playing small ball, Michon's infield single, a sacrifice bunt by junior catcher Carolyn Biel (Wallingford), a wild pitch by Wilson, and Bolduk sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning helped Eastern knot the game back up at three apiece.

Regaining the final lead of the game in the sixth, Michon's leadoff single, part of a 3-for-3 day, and another Wilson wild pitch put the sophomore in scoring position with one out. It would be Bolduk again who delivered the big hit, singling to right field to score Michon and give the Warriors the 4-3 lead and opening game win.

After allowing the go-ahead hit to Wilson in the fourth, Bolduk (12-1) retired 10 of the final 12 batters to post her ninth straight victory. Bolduk went 3 1/3 innings, giving up one run on two hits while walking two and striking out one batter. Only one Waynesburg batter reached second base between the fifth and seventh innings against the Vernon native.

The Warriors' 38 wins are the fourth-most in a season in program history, with a 39th victory equallng the second-most in program history. The winningest teams: 2012 (44-3), 2010 (39-6) and the national championship squad of 1985 (39-9). The team's 22-game winning streak is the third-longest in program history, one more than a year ago when the team won its first 21. The 40-game consecutive winning streak set in 2012 is the longest, followed by the 27-game streak set in 1988.