WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Western New England scored twice in the top of the 11th inning and held on to defeat Husson University 6-5 in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III softball regional at Williams College on Sunday morning.
Husson, the North Atlantic Conference champion, concluded its season with a 21-15 record while Western New England improved to 25-17.
The game was completed on Sunday after being suspended due to darkness in the sixth inning on Saturday night with the game tied at 4-4.
Neither team scored upon the resumption of play until the top of the 11th when WNE’s Jenn Luba hit an RBI double and later scored on a groundout by Aimee Kistner.
Husson got one run back in the bottom of the inning as Kylee Cunningham hit an RBI double to drive home Caitlin Bean, but the Eagles couldn’t come up with the equalizer.
Cunningham finished the game with three hits and four RBIs while teammate Olivia Smith and Madelyn Fowler also had three hits apiece.
Jen Jones relieved Smith in the circle after WNE took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning and pitched 10 ⅓ innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Kistner led WNE with three hits and three RBIs and also earned the pitching win with six innings of five-hit relief. She allowed two runs (one earned) while striking out four batters and walking two.
The game was the longest game in Husson’s NCAA era and the Eagles’ first 11-inning contest since 1999.