Softball Nipped By Mercy, 2-1, In Opener Of ECC Semifinal Series

Bridgeport, Conn.-Two unearned runs scored by Mercy College in the top of the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the game, as the fourth-seed Mavericks, withstood a two-out rally by the host, and top-seed University of Bridgeport Purple Knights, to notch a 2-1 win in game one of the teams' best-of-three East Coast Conference Softball Championship Semifinal Series in Seaside Park on Friday afternoon.  UB, now 18-7 on the season, must defeat Mercy (17-12 overall) twice on Saturday to move on to the ECC Finals set for next weekend hosted by the highest remaining seed.

The Maverick scored their runs in the fourth on a passed ball and an infield ground out after a single and a two-base Bridgeport throwing error put runners at second and third base.

UB sophomore standout Kaite Burawski (Hartley, Del.) was the hard-luck loser for the Purple Knights on Friday, as she fired a complete game in which she allowed only four hits, no earned runs, with nine strikeouts and no walks.  Burawski is now 11-3 on the season with 0.69 earned run average.

Down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Purple Knights tried to rally, as pinch hitter Hope Lincoln (N. Providence, R.I.) kept things alive for UB with an infield single to shortstop.  Freshman Hailey Kim (Virginia Beach, Va.) reentered the contest to run for Lincoln, and she moved to second base on a walk issued to senior Sarah Silver (Vernon, Conn.), who was pinch run for by freshman Grace Derita (Middletown, Conn.).

Up next, freshman Meg McFarland (Monroe, Conn.), who had two hits on the day, kept the line moving for Bridgeport with a single to left-center that scored Kim, but Derita was thrown out trying to advance to third base to end the game.

Mercy's Alexi Benson picked up the win on Friday to up her record to 9-2 on the season, as she worked a complete game in which she allowed six hits with seven strikeouts and walked only one.

Game two of the best-of-three series is slated for a 12 noon first pitch on Saturday in Seaside Park with an if necessary game to follow approximately 30 minutes after the completion of game one if Bridgeport wins.