Bowdoin Stays Alive at NCAA Softball Regional with 14-2 Win Over Husson

Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information

WELLESLEY, Mass. - The Polar Bear bats came alive and sophomore Amy Hackett tied a school record with two home runs and seven RBI to lead the Bowdoin College softball team to their  first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, 14-2, over Husson University on Friday morning.

The Polar Bears (34-13) fend off elimination and advance in the loser's bracket of the tourney and will face the winner of Salem State and Endicott on Saturday morning in another elimination game. Husson ends their year with a record of 28-15.

Bowdoin rapped out a season-high 18 hits and quickly jumped to a two-run lead just four batters into the game. A Shavonne Lord double put Polar Bears on second and third for Clare Ronan, who laced a single to right that scored both runners. Husson was able to scrape together a run in the bottom of the first, to trim the lead to 2-1 on an RBI single from Megan Richard.

The Polar Bears came alive for four runs in the third, however, to put the Eagles in a deep hole. Hackett launched a two-run homer to center field to give Bowdoin some cushion and run-scoring hits later in the frame from Lauren Coven and Molly Nestor upped the lead to 6-1. Bowdoin added three runs in the sixth, with the big blow coming from Lord's two-run double, and Hackett blasted her second home run of the contest - a grand slam - to cap a five-run seventh.

Julia Jacobs took care of business in the circle for Bowdoin, scattering 12 hits - but just one for extra bases - and allowing just two earned runs in seven frames. The victory is the 42nd of Jacobs career, tying her with Karen Reni '09 for the most in program history.

The top of Bowdoin's lineup proved to be lethal, as the 1-5 hitters combined to go 11-23. Hackett led the way with three hits, the two homers, and seven RBI to tie the school mark held by Kristie Miller (set in '00) and Sandy Hebert (in 1983). The seven RBI are one shy of the NCAA Tournament record for a single game.

Lauren Coven went 4-4 for the Polar Bears while Lord had two hits, both doubles, and scored four times and Ronan had two hits and three RBI. Gen Barlow also had a pair of doubles while Dewar scored three times for the Polar Bears.

The win was the third of the season for Bowdoin over Husson, with the Polar Bears outscoring the Eagles by a cumulative score of 31-4.