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BANGOR – Lesley University softball coach Jennifer Benway decided she would ride the right arm of Alicia Burnett throughout the North Atlantic Conference tournament.
Burnett justified her coach’s faith and then some as she capped an MVP performance with a 6-1 complete-game victory over the University of Maine-Farmington in Sunday afternoon’s championship game at O’Keefe Complex.
“I really felt like she had a mindset that she was ready to play despite some minor injuries and could really bring it,” Benway said. “She knows it’s her job to set the tone and the team would follow, and she’s done that from start to finish.”
Burnett pitched all five of her team’s tourney games, going 4-1 to earn the MVP trophy. She wasn’t unhittable Sunday, but she was stingy when it mattered most despite having pitched two games Saturday.
“She’s a tough pitcher. We hit her, but we couldn’t get the big hit against her,” said UMF coach Bob Leib. “She really made the difference for that team. Yesterday was the key day because she had to throw a lot of pitches against Husson and we didn’t get to her.”
After Lesley took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third Sunday on a one-out RBI triple by Alyson Durben and an RBI single by Jodi Fralick, the UMF Beavers answered with a run on a two-out RBI double by McKell Barnes. But it was the previous inning that would inspire Burnett and haunt Leib and Co.
The Beavers loaded the bases with two outs, but Burnett was able to escape with a strikeout on a called third strike.
“I wasn’t worried. I wasn’t worried at all. The biggest thing was staying positive and composed,” Burnett said. “I wasn’t nervous or scared at all. We just needed an out.
“Us getting out of that was a huge thing. I really believe that was a turning point.”
The 24-9 Beavers got a leadoff double from Breanna Conners in the fourth, but Burnett retired the next three batters on a groundout and two flyouts.
“We’ve been in jams like that a lot this season, but we escape most of them and know that we can sacrifice runs for outs,” Benway said. “We gave up one run but nothing else.”
Burnett and her Lynx kept nine UMF baserunners stranded on base as Burnett benefited from great defense, especially in the outfield. She issued two walks (both to Barnes) and eight hits to go with four strikeouts.
“I mixed my pitches a lot and threw inside,” Burnett said. “Location was what worked best for me, keeping them off-guard and moving it around.”
The game stayed tight for six innings, with the Lynx scoring once in the sixth on Christina DiGiorgio’s two-out RBI double down the left field line, but they broke it open in the seventh with three runs on three hits, the biggest of which was Sarah Wilson’s two-run triple to the right field corner.
Breanna Conners led UMF with a double and a single. Freshman Sarah DeFilipp of Brewer allowed nine hits in six innings and took the loss.
Joining Burnett on the all-tourney team are Brittany Morin and Nicole Smith of Thomas College in Waterville; Jenika Kelley and Tammie Arsenault of Husson; UMF’s Lauren Overlock, DeFilipp and Barnes; and Lesley’s Gianna Spaziente and Fralick.
Saturday’s games
Lesley ran the table by first beating host Husson College 10-4 in an elimination game, then handing UMF its first loss, 5-2.
The Lynx more than doubled up the Eagles despite being outhit 13-10 by taking advantage of four Husson errors and scoring four unearned runs.
Spaziante and Fralick each had three singles while Alyson Durben hit a three-run homer for Lesley.
Cassie Berry led Husson with a double and two singles. Megan Richard, Shannon Pietras, Jenika Kelley and Dottie Cameron each had two hits.
In the second game, a three-run fifth was the difference as Lesley outhit the Beavers 13-5.
Fralick led the way with a double, two singles and an RBI. Georgia Saltzman had a single, home run, and two RBIs.
Kasey McPhail drove in both of Husson’s runs with two sacrifice flies.
(Saturday’s First Game)
Lesley 300 301 1 – 10 9 2
Husson (30-12) 011 110 0 – 4 13 4
Burnett and Fralick; Arsenault, LeBorgne (5) and Bell
(Saturday’s Second Game)
Lesley (29-10) 002 030 0 – 5 13 2
UM-Farmington (24-8) 100 010 0 – 2 5 1
Burnett and Fralick; DeFilipp, Bergeron (6), Flaherty (7) and Barnes, Trafton (6)
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LYNX 6, BEAVERS 1
(Sunday Afternoon)
Lesley (30-10) UM-Farmington (24-9)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Cabral-Pini, ss 3 2 2 0 Overlock, cf 4 0
Durben, rf 3 2 1 1 DeFilipp, p 3 0 0
Fralick, c 4 1 4 1 Bergeron, p 0 0 0
Saltzman, 1b 4 0 0 0 McDonough, ss 4 0 0
Wilson, 3b 4 0 2 2 Barnes, c 2 0 1
Quackenbush, pr 0 1 0 0 Trafton, pr 0 0
Spaziante, cf 2 0 0 0 McPhail, rf 2 0
Cunningham, dh 2 0 0 0 Conners, 3b 3 0
Pari, ph 2 0 0 0 Goodrow, 2b 3 0 0
DiGiorgio, 2b 3 0 1 1 Timmreck, 2b 0 0
Leakeas, lf 3 0 0 0 Ross, 1b 3 0 0
Porter, lf 2 0 0 0
Flaherty, ph 1 0 0 0
Totals 30 6 10 5 Totals 27 1 8 1
Lesley 002 001 3 – 6
UMaine-Farmington 001 000 0 – 1
E-Barnes; LOB-Lesley 7; UM-Farmington 9; 2B-Cabral-Pini, DiGiorgio; McDonough, Barnes, Conners; 3B-Durben, Wilson; S-Spaziante, Durben; McPhail; SB-Cabral-Pini, Fralick; Overlock
Lesley IP H R ER BB SO
Burnett (W, 16-4) 7 8 1 1 2 4
UM-Farmington IP H R ER BB SO
DeFilipp (L, 12-4) 6 9 6 6 2 6
Bergeron 1 1 0 0 0 1
T-1:38; ATT-250 (est.)
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