BOSTON, Mass. – It was the perfect ending to a regular season for UMass Boston Softball who came back from their 7-3 game one loss against Rhode Island College to defeat the Anchorwoman, 4-1, in game two and ensuring their spot in the Little East Conference Tournament, which will begin on Wednesday in Mansfield, Connecticut on the campus of Eastern Connecticut State University, as the sixth seed.

The Beacons will take on the University of Southern Maine who enters the tournament as the three seed at 3:00 PM on Wednesday and split against UMass Boston at the UMB Softball Field earlier this season.
 
THE BASICS
 
UMass Boston 3, Rhode Island College 7
UMass Boston 4, Rhode Island College 1
 
UMass Boston (20-19, 6-10 LEC)
Rhode Island College (17-17, 8-8 LEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1: UMass Boston 3, Rhode Island College 7
A seven-run third inning would be all Rhode Island College needed to secure their game one victory as a trio of fielding errors for UMass Boston allowed two of the seven runs to come across the plate and advance runners up bases. Sophomore infielder Amanda Conti plated a run on her RBI single as did senior infielder Cassidy Schoen, and sophomore outfielder Paige Jones to propel the Anchorwomen to that seven-run lead.

Sophomore pitcher would hold UMass Boston in check for a majority of the game before the Beacons looked to rally in the final two innings. Senior first baseman Jordan Toomey plated senior infielder Haley Tilberry with an RBI single in the sixth before Kidd escaped the inning, but UMass Boston would not go down quietly either in the seventh.

A leadoff single for sophomore infielder Kaylee Bruce helped give the Beacons some momentum which would ramp up after freshman infielder Lauren Miner's two-out single moved Bruce up a base for junior infielder Lauryn Bethea. Bethea would bring home both runners with her long RBI double to center field, to cut the deficit to four runs, 7-3, before Kidd would get sophomore catcher Kaitlyn Sawyer to line out and end the game.
 
Game 2: UMass Boston 4, Rhode Island College 1
Four runs over the first two innings for the Beacons would be enough to propel UMass Boston to their Little East Conference Tournament clinching win as sophomore utility player Amauri English got UMass Boston on the scoreboard first with her RBI groundout in the opening frame. Three runs would come across the plate in the second inning as two Anchorwomen errors allowed senior catcher Tam Landry to reach base and eventually score on freshman outfielder Sofie Richland's stolen base, followed by an RBI single from Bruce to crack open a 4-0 lead for the Beacons after two.

Junior pitcher Bri Melchionda held the Rhode Island College bats in order, allowing just two baserunners to reach through the first three innings. Melchionda would run into a bit of trouble in the fourth as she walked the leadoff hitter in freshman utility player Noelle Simmons and then allowed a double to junior first baseman Katelyn Ashe to give the Anchorwomen runners on second and third with nobody out.

The junior would get senior catcher Alexis Boyce to hit a sacrifice fly to left field in which sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Cahill would throw into Miner at third to get Ashe trying to swipe an extra base and retire her for the second out. With the bases empty, Melchionda polished off the inning by retiring Schoen and keep the Beacons in front, 4-1.

Only one other threat would emerge for Rhode Island College in the sixth inning as they put two on with one out against Melchionda before she would get Schoen and Jones out by way of a foul out and fielder's choice to end the inning. Working a 1-2-3 seventh inning, Melchionda would earn her 12^th win of the season and help the Beacons secure the final LEC Tournament spot with a 4-1 victory.

 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Sofie Richland's hitting streak came to an end at 14 games after going 0-for-4 in game one of the doubleheader
• Abby Kidd got the game one victory for Rhode Island College, going seven innings allowing three runs on eight hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks  
• Bri Melchionda dominated in the circle in game two, picking up her 12^th win of the season after going seven innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out three and walking five  
• UMass Boston has notched back-to-back 20-win seasons for the third time in program history and first time since 2016 and 2017

 
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston prepares for the Little East Conference Tournament set to get underway next Wednesday on the campus of Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Connecticut at Clyde Washburne Field. Entering the tournament as the sixth seed, the Beacons will take on three-seeded University of Southern Maine on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 PM. Earlier this season, the two teams split their doubleheader at UMB Softball Field with the Beacons winning game one, 10-2, and then losing game two, 1-0.