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Great Northeast Athletic Conference

Regis, SJC Advance To Thursday's Pod Play

Regis, SJC Advance To Thursday's Pod Play
April 29, 2025

WINTHROP, Mass. - The 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Play-In games were held on Tuesday afternoon (April 29th) with the #4N Saint Joseph's (Maine) defeating #5N New England College in a tight 4-3 contest while #5S Regis upset #4S Mitchell 13-11 on the road. 

#4N Saint Joseph's (Maine) will travel to #1N Rivier for a 7pm tilt in Pod Play A while #5S Regis will travel to #1S Johnson & Wales for a 12 pm for Pod B Play. 

Recap/Photo Courtesy of Regis Athletic Communications

NEW LONDON, Conn, -- Regis College Softball traveled to Mitchell College this afternoon for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play-in matchup between the fourth-seeded Mariners and the fifth-seeded Pride. Fueled by a nine-run outburst over the final two innings, the Pride surged past Mitchell for a 13–11 victory, punching their ticket to the GNAC quarterfinals.

Bianca Burke (Cambridge, Mass.) continued her standout season, going 3-for-5 at the plate with four runs scored and four RBIs. Chloe Beland (Southborough, Mass.) also delivered a strong performance, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) added a perfect 3-for-3 day, scoring twice and driving in a run. Kate Julian (Mendon, Mass.) earned the win in the circle, tossing 1.2 innings to help lock down the 13–11 victory.

How it Happened:

  • Burke opened the game with a triple before Beland brought her home a batter later to give the Pride the early 1-0 tilt.
  • Blanchard opened the second inning with a solid shot to right field and came home just one batter later on a deep triple off the bat of Lynsey Kay (Bellingham, Mass.).  Zancan then laid down a bunt to bring Kay home, giving the Pride a 3–0 advantage.
  • In the home half of the second and third innings, Kaylee Drago powered the Mariners into the lead, launching a pair of home runs that accounted for three of their four runs and gave Mitchell a 4–3 advantage.
  • Burke evened the score at 4–4 in the fourth after crossing the plate, but the Mariners responded quickly with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take their largest lead of the game at 7–4.
  • Refusing to back down, the Pride erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back bunts by Zancan and Sydney Grund (Hamden, Conn.) set the stage, putting runners in scoring position. A key defensive miscue by the Mariners allowed two runs to score, and Beland followed with an RBI to pull Regis ahead. Two additional runs capped the rally, giving the Pride a 9–7 lead.
  • A trio of Mariner hits plated a run in the sixth, but the Pride answered in the seventh, sparked by a two-run triple from Burke that fueled a four-run inning and extended the lead to 13-8.
  • Mitchell attempted a late rally, using a passed ball and two doubles to close the gap to 13-11, but Grace Motto (Wareham, Mass.) sealed the win with the final out, sending the Pride to the GNAC quarterfinals.

Inside the Numbers:

  • Bianca Burke set a new single-season triples record with her seventh of the year in the game's opening at-bat—surpassing the previous mark she shared with teammate Lexi Nichols (Granby, Conn.).
  • Burke also crossed the plate four times, becoming Regis Softball's all-time leader in runs scored with 102.
  • Madi Zancan turned in a career-best performance at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3, with two timely bunts, to go along with two runs scored and an RBI.

Up Next:

The Pride will travel to top-seeded Johnson & Wales University this Thursday, May 1, for a 2 p.m. matchup against the host school in the double-elimination GNAC quarterfinals.

Photo/Recap Courtesy of Saint Joseph's (Maine) Athletic Communications

STANDISH, Maine — Saint Joseph's College is moving on in the GNAC Tournament after a hard-fought 4–3 win over New England College in Tuesday's play-in game at Richard W. Bailey Field. The win bumps the Monks' record to 17–22 and sets them up for a matchup against Rivier University in Thursday's pod play.

The day carried extra weight for Saint Joe's, as the program celebrated Senior Day before first pitch. Seven seniors—Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, ME), Abby Carpenter (Bath, ME), Paige Connery (Tyngsboro, MA), Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, ME), Rylee Page (Somersworth, NH), Katie Bent(Andover, NH), and Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, ME)—along with team manager Maggie Sylvester, were honored in a pre-game ceremony. 

Head Coach Jamie Smyth was also honored for his 600th career victory, secured earlier this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Monks got on the board early, grabbing a 1–0 lead in the second inning when Pelletier scored on a groundout by Connery. In the fourth, Pelletier doubled and later came around to score on Carpenter's RBI double, stretching the lead to 2–0.

New England College rallied in the fifth, taking advantage of a Monks miscue and stringing together four hits to plate three runs. RBI singles from three players gave the Pilgrims a 3–2 edge.

Saint Joseph's didn't wait long to answer. In the bottom half of the fifth, Cloutier tied the game, scoring on a sac fly from Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, ME). The Monks took the lead for good in the sixth, when Sylvia Foley crossed the plate on a clutch single from Anna Gilbert.

Pelletier shut the door in the seventh, stranding two NEC runners to seal the win. She tossed a complete game, giving up eight hits and three earned runs while walking three and striking out one.

Monks Leaders:

Pilgrims Leaders:

  • Olivia Olson (NEC): Complete game in the loss, 2-for-3 at the plate

  • J. Maker / G. Giesler / A. Grimes (NEC): Each with an RBI

NEXT!
The Monks hit the road next, heading to Rivier University for Thursday's GNAC Tournament pod play contest.

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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