April 22, 2008
Eagles Go Out With Heads High, Sweep Newbury In Finale

NNashua – Winners of four of their final five games and having set or broken numerous program records that stood for at least 10 years or longer, the 2008 Daniel Webster softball season came to satisfying conclusion with a doubleheader sweep of future New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) rival Newbury Tuesday at Eagle Field.

Led by a solid balance of departing veterans and what has already proven itself as a strong youth movement, the Eagles handily dispatched the Nighthawks, 7-1 and 8-2 in a matchup of founding members of the NECC, which officially begins July 1, 2008.

The sweep completed an 11-24-1 overall campaign, creating the highest water mark of season victories since a 13-7 campaign in 1998 and second highest total in program history. The 11 Eagle victories easily eclipsed not only last season’s mark (2), but marked more victories than the previous seven seasons combined.

Along the way, the squad put forth its best overall batting average (.264) since ’98, saw its first two +.300 hitters (Tiana Winter and Erin Hurd) since the same season, set program season records for total hits, extra base hits, pitching strikeouts, total runs and the second lowest team ERA in over the last 10 years in the process.

In the opener, senior Erin Moseley (Sterling, Mass.) began the final steps of her remarkable journey as arguably the most successful student-athlete to wear an Eagle uniform. The three-sport standout and only three-time all conference player in two sports (women’s basketball and volleyball) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference history, Moseley fired a tidy two-hitter, allowing one run (unearned) over seven innings, striking out seven and walking two.

Moseley aided her efforts at the plate with a two-run single - the big blow that was part of a seven run fifth - to break open what had been a tight 1-0 game after the Nighthawks jumped ahead in the first.

Newcomers Amanda Varricchio (Middletown, Conn.), with three hits, Winter (2 hits, RBI), along with Hurd (Centerville, Mass.) also helped pace the attack.

Hurd (2 hits) notched an RBI single, Kristina Rieger (Concord, N.H.) tripled in a run and Mikaelia Ramnanan (Rahway, N.J.) added an RBI double as part of the seven run outburst.

Alise Jacquet (Holliston, Mass.) and Leanne Merritt (Bethel, Conn.) had the sole hits for the Nighthawks. Adrienne Miller (Prospect, Conn.) took the loss (6-10), striking out three and walking none.


In the nightcap, the Eagles put the game away early with a four-run first on five hits and added four more in the sixth.

Winter led the attack with a 3 for 4 outing - setting a new program record for hits in season in the process - knocking in two with a triple in the sixth, while Reiger added two hits with a sacrifice in the first and an RBI single in the sixth.

Stephanie Zubricki (Brookline, N.H.) added two hits including an RBI single in the first, while Hurd added two hits. Rachel Schelhorn (Lebanon, Conn.) added an RBI single in the first, Crystal Champion (Laconia, N.H.) notched an RBI single in the sixth and Moseley added an RBI sac fly in the first.

The Eagles also bid farewell to senior Kim Harper (Presque Isle, Maine), who finished 1 for 2 with a run scored in her final collegiate outing. Like Moseley, Harper was a three-sport letter winner (women’s soccer, cross country).

Moseley, meanwhile, earned the victory for her fourth straight decision (7-10), allowing one hit over 3 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two. Her 10 strikeouts on the day left her six shy of the program strikeout record as she finished second all time. She gave way to Lauren Coppola (Norwalk, Conn.), who closed it out over 3 1/3, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out three and walking two.

Katleyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) and Catherine Cullen (Beverly, Mass.) added single hits and knocked in a run each in the sixth for Newbury. Michaela Lynch (Attleboro, Mass.) took the loss (4-10).