Softball Championships set for Saturday at NHTI

CONCORD, N.H. - The Yankee Small College Conference NECA baseball and softball teams wrap up the fall conference portion of the season this weekend when the top four teams travel to NHTI on Saturday for the single-elimination YSCC tournament. 

Softball plays the first game of the day at 11:00 when number two seed NHTI takes on the third seeded University of New Hampshire club team. NHTI enters the game on a five-game winning streak and with an overall record of 8-2. Six of those victories belong to senior hurler Tori Lemay, who ranks second in the conference with a 0.68 ERA over 41 and a third innings pitched and has a league-leading 82 strikeouts to just 12 free passes. 

UNH owns a 5-6 overall record and a 5-4 conference mark and are riding the hot bat of Elise McDonough, who ranks third in the conference with a .467 average. On the mound, UNH has received a strong performance from Katie Steinmetz, who owns two wins and has posted a 1.67 ERA through 21 innings. The two teams split a double-header in their last meeting, with UNH taking game one 7-3 and the Lynx rebounding for a 9-6 win in extra innings. 

Game two begins at 1:00 and features the top-seeded College of St. Joseph's (Vt.) against the number four seed, Southern Maine Community College. St. Joseph's carries a 6-1 record into the game and is on a five game winning streak, while the Seawolves are 2-6 overall and have lost two in a row. 

St. Joseph's boasts three of the top five hitters in the league, as Jenna Crowley ranks first with a .583 batting average. Jackie Rossi ranks second with a .500 average and Maggie Miller is tied for fourth with Erica Brochu of SMCC with a .455 average. 

The winners of both games will face off in a championship game at 3:00 pm.