Pride Punch Ticket to GNAC Quarterfinals After 13-11 Thriller

NEW LONDON, Conn, -- Regis College Softball traveled to Mitchell College this afternoon for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play-in matchup between the fourth-seeded Mariners and the fifth-seeded Pride. Fueled by a nine-run outburst over the final two innings, the Pride surged past Mitchell for a 13–11 victory, punching their ticket to the GNAC quarterfinals.

Bianca Burke (Cambridge, Mass.) continued her standout season, going 3-for-5 at the plate with four runs scored and four RBIs. Chloe Beland (Southborough, Mass.) also delivered a strong performance, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) added a perfect 3-for-3 day, scoring twice and driving in a run. Kate Julian (Mendon, Mass.) earned the win in the circle, tossing 1.2 innings to help lock down the 13–11 victory.

How it Happened:

• Burke opened the game with a triple before Beland brought her home a batter later to give the Pride the early 1-0 tilt.
• Blanchard opened the second inning with a solid shot to right field and came home just one batter later on a deep triple off the bat of Lynsey Kay (Bellingham, Mass.).  Zancan then laid down a bunt to bring Kay home, giving the Pride a 3–0 advantage.
• In the home half of the second and third innings, Kaylee Drago powered the Mariners into the lead, launching a pair of home runs that accounted for three of their four runs and gave Mitchell a 4–3 advantage.
• Burke evened the score at 4–4 in the fourth after crossing the plate, but the Mariners responded quickly with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take their largest lead of the game at 7–4.
• Refusing to back down, the Pride erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back bunts by Zancan and Sydney Grund (Hamden, Conn.) set the stage, putting runners in scoring position. A key defensive miscue by the Mariners allowed two runs to score, and Beland followed with an RBI to pull Regis ahead. Two additional runs capped the rally, giving the Pride a 9–7 lead.
• A trio of Mariner hits plated a run in the sixth, but the Pride answered in the seventh, sparked by a two-run triple from Burke that fueled a four-run inning and extended the lead to 13-8.
• Mitchell attempted a late rally, using a passed ball and two doubles to close the gap to 13-11, but Grace Motto (Wareham, Mass.) sealed the win with the final out, sending the Pride to the GNAC quarterfinals.

Inside the Numbers:

• Bianca Burke set a new single-season triples record with her seventh of the year in the game's opening at-bat—surpassing the previous mark she shared with teammate Lexi Nichols (Granby, Conn.).
• Burke also crossed the plate four times, becoming Regis Softball's all-time leader in runs scored with 102.
• Madi Zancan turned in a career-best performance at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3, with two timely bunts, to go along with two runs scored and an RBI.

Up Next:

The Pride will travel to top-seeded Johnson & Wales University this Thursday, May 1, for a 3 p.m. matchup against the host school in the double-elimination GNAC quarterfinals.