Nashua, NH – In a tightly contested GNAC Softball Championship game between Rivier College and Emerson College, it was the Raiders scoring on a Mandy Thornton (Hanover, MA) walk-off base hit up the middle in the eighth inning to give Rivier the 1-0 victory to claim the 2010 GNAC softball crown.  Raiders senior pitcher Monica White (Augusta, ME) picked up her 26^th victory of the season, pitching all eight innings, scattering five hits and striking out eight Lions Batters.  The Raiders, now 32-2 overall, will move on to play in the NCAA Championship Tournament starting on May 13^th at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA.

Although no runs came across until the eighth inning, the Raiders picked up 10 hits on the day, but ran themselves into outs on the base paths.  In the third inning White led things off with a double, but a base running error on a short base hit to right field by junior Amanda Ryan (W. Bridgewater, MA) got her into a rundown between third and home, where she was tagged out.  Another single by freshman Katie Bachinski (Northfield, MA) loaded the bases for Rivier, but a groundball up the middle by senior Jess Mellen (Rockland, MA) ended the inning when it struck Ryan on the foot in the base path for an automatic out for interference. 

Emerson came close to getting on the score board in the 4^th inning after a two out double by right fielder Jilisa Rawding (Tewksbury, MA) put her in scoring position.  The next batter, Brittany Martin (Las Vegas, NV), grounded a ball to Raider shortstop Taylor Cournoyer (Mansfield, MA) who couldn't make the play, but on the error Rawding tried to force a run home, only to be thrown out at the plate by Cournoyer.  That was the only runner the Lions got to third base in the entire game.

The Raiders again came close to getting a run across in the bottom of the seventh when designated hitter Karen Waterman (Rutland, VT) connected on a single to left field.  Senior Brenna Campbell (Nashua, NH) moved her along with a ground out to the third baseman, where flex player Ashley Metivier (Hudson, NH) was put in to pinch run.  Once again, base running turned out to be an issue for the Raiders as White stepped to the plate and delivered a slow ground ball to the shortstop.  Metivier held at second until the throw went to first, but instead of taking off on the throw she watched as White beat it out to first for the base hit.  Once the umpire rules White safe, Metivier took off, but it was too late as Lions first baseman Jaclyn Castellano (Staten Island, NY) came up throwing and gunned down the runner before she could make it to third. 

The eighth inning also didn't lack any excitement as each team was given the customary runner at second base to start the inning.   The Lions couldn't advance catcher Sierra Wood (Torrance, CA) as a failed bunt attempt turned into a line out to the shortstop for Jill Vallecorsa (Latham, NY), followed by two of Monica Whites eight strikeouts to get Rivier out of the field unscathed. 

The Raiders shortstop Cournoyer was the runner placed on second base and after an intentional walk to freshman Marissa Mercier (N. Smithfield, RI) pinch runner Danielle Magnant (Franklin, VT) was put in for Cournoyer. Amanda Ryan was able to lay down a sacrifice bunt down the third baseline to advance both runners and put them in scoring position.  An intentional walk to Bachinski loaded the bases and a strikeout by Mellen set the stage for Mandy Thornton.  With two outs and the bases juiced, Thornton delivered the 2-0 offering from Lions pitcher Kelsey Tuthill (Middlefield, CT) back up the middle to bring Magnant in from third and seal the victory for the Raiders.

Tuthill takes the loss for Emerson, who finished their season with a 28-11 overall record (20-4 GNAC).  She went 4.2 innings, giving up four hits and striking out three batters.  Lions starter Courtney Smith (Syracuse, NY) got a no decision as she went three full innings, giving up 6 hits and also striking out 3 batters.

Rivier senior pitcher Monica White was named the Tournament MVP as she pitched complete games in all three Raider victories over the weekend.  White pitched 24 total innings as every Raider game went into extra innings.  Monica gave up a total of 13 hits and 3 earned runs for a 0.88 ERA with no walks and 37 total strikeouts, holding opponents to a .157 batting average during the tournament.  Joining White on the All-Tournament Team from Rivier were right fielder Mandy Thornton, who delivered the game winning hit, catcher Amanda Ryan, who went 4 for 7 during the tournament with 2 walks for a .571 batting average, and shortstop Taylor Cournoyer, who went 5 for 13 for a .385 batting average and led the team with 3 RBI's.

2010 GNAC All-Tournament Team