Henniker, NH - The Lyndon State college softball team finally opened North Atlantic Conference play on Wednesday afternoon.  Unfortunately for the Hornets, they came up on the short in both ends of a doubleheader at New England College.  The Pilgrims came from behind to take the opener, 14-6, then held the Hornets hitless in the night cap, posting a 10-0 win.  NEC improves to 12-18 overall on the season and 6-2 in NAC play, while Lyndon remains winless in eight contests this season.

Game 1 - NEC 14, Lyndon 6

The Hornets jumped out in front right away in the opener, as Kiya DeWitt (Pittsburg, NH) led off with a single to center.  Afte Cecilia Chamul (Concord, VT) sacrifice bunted DeWitt to second, Hannah Choiniere (Highgate, VT) singled to right, and a subsequent error on the play allowed DeWitt to score.  After Madeline DeGroot (Canton, ME) singled to move Choiniere to second, Charlotte Winslow (Pittsford, VT) delivered another single to score Choiniere.

NEC took the lead with five runs in the bottom of the second inning.  After Christine McNeil (Pawcatuck, CT) led off with a walk, Julia D'Andrea (Greenwich, CT) deposited a pitch from DeWitt over the left center field fence for a two run home run.  The Pilgrims then manufactured three more runs in the inning on only one base hit.

Lyndon came right back with four runs in the top of the third inning to retake the lead.  Four straight singles from Chamul, Choiniere, DeGroot, and Winslow produced two runs, then Cassie Black (Tolland, CT) lined a double to center field to score two more runs and give the Hornets a 6-5 lead.

Aibhlin O'Connor (Biddeford, ME) would single home Yesenia Dominguez (Symlar, CA) in the bottom of the third to tie the game.  It would stay that way until the bottom of the fifth, when D'Andrea led off with a triple, then scored on a wild pitch.  Dominguez followed with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Shawnie Clark (Holden, MA).

After the Hornets went quietly in teh top of the sixth, NEC put the game away with six runs in the bottom half of the inning, with the deciding blow a three run walk off homer from Dominguez.

DeWitt went the distance in taking the loss for Lyndon.  She allowed ten earned runs on 14 hits.  Taylor Barbour (Basy shore, NY) pitched three hitless and scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win for the Pilgrims.

Game 2 - NEC 10, Lyndon 0

Barbour was the story of this game, as she went the distance on the mound for NEC.  She struck out seven without allowing a hit or a walk.  The only Hornet to reach base was Dewitt, who reached on an error to open the game.

Meanwhile, the Pilgrims hammered out ten runs on nine hits.  Clark had a big game, going two for three at the plate while scoring three times and driving in three more runs.  D'Andrea had two hits and two runs batted in and Barbour helped her own cause with a two-run double.

The Hornets will open a four game set with the University of Maine at Presque Isle on Thursday evening at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, NH.  The two teams will play two games tomorrow starting at 5:00 pm, then play two more on Friday mornign begining at 10:00 am.  NEC will host Western Connecticut State University on Friday afternoon.