The Husson University softball team, fresh off their third straight North Atlantic Conference Championship this past weekend, got word Monday afternoon that they’ve earned the #1 seed for the 6-team NCAA Division III Regional Tournament being held at O’Keefe Field on the campus of Husson University in Bangor starting on Friday.
The Eagles (27-1), with 20 straight wins, are slated to face the #6 seed Endicott Gulls (19-2) in the first game on Friday at 10 a.m. Husson has been led this season by NAC Rookie of the Year Kenzie Dore who is hitting .506, and leads the team with four homeruns and 35 RBI. NAC Pitcher of the Year Jen Jones (12-0) takes her unblemished record into the circle this week. Jones has a team leading 1.59 earned run average, only allowing 18 earned runs and striking out 116 in 79.0 innings pitched with 11 complete games. Sophomore Sydney Ames has also impressed at the plate and in the circle. Ames holds a 1.84 ERA, allowing 21 earned runs with 10 complete games over 80.0 innings. She is hitting .392 with 16 RBI, having only struck out four times in 97 plate appearances.
The Gulls have won 12 straight games entering this Fridays contest, and are the champions of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) after two wins over Western New England on Saturday. Catcher/infielder Meghan Connor is third in batting average for Endicott at .412, but leads the team in homeruns (9) and RBI (33). Maria Hanchuk leads in ERA at 0.29 and wins with 8, striking out 72 batters.
This is only the second time ever in the history of the school since joining the NCAA that Husson University has hosted a regional event in any sport. The last time was in 2014 when the Eagles football team hosted an NCAA Div III Playoff game against MIT.
Here is the full schedule of the first round games on Friday-
Friday, May 21 (All games at O’Keefe Field- Husson University, Bangor)-
Game 1- #1 Husson (27-1) vs #6 Endicott (19-2)- 10 a.m.
Game 2- #2 Babson (15-1) vs #5 Tufts (17-5)-12 p.m.
Game 3- #3 Brandeis (13-1) vs #4 Eastern Connecticut State (30-2)- 2 p.m.
