NHTI Captures YSCC Title In Extras

CONCORD, N.H.— The top seeded Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) softball team was defeated by #3 New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI) 7-5 in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) championship game on Saturday, May 6. 

The Lynx jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a comebacker to the pitcher that scored the runner from third. The Lady SeaWolves answered with a RBI single off the bat of sophomore Samantha Rioux (Lewiston, Maine)— first-year Kaylah Abdul (South Berwick, Maine) scored all the way from first base. 

NHTI extended its lead by one in the top half of the third inning and then again in the sixth on a solo blast by Kabrina Roy, her fourth of the season and matching Abdul for the conference lead.

SMCC evened the score 3-3 in the same inning on a one-out two-RBI double courtesy of first-year Kahli Philibotte(Hooksett, N.H.) to score both Abdul and sophomore Elle Burbank (Bethel, Maine).  

First-year Sarah Guimond (East Waterboro, Maine) worked out of a lead-off double in the seventh and NHTI's Brianna Whitcomb retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to force extras.

In the eighth inning, the Lynx posted four runs on four hits and a wild pitch. Like they had all game, the Seawolves found some come-from-behind magic pushing across a pair of runs with two outs, but that was all they would get as Whitcomb got first-year Chantel Lane (Millinocket, Maine) to line out to center to end the game.

Whitcomb earned the complete game victory for the Lynx. Guimond fanned nine despite being taxed with the loss. Abdul, Rioux and Philibotte all collected two hits in the effort. 

Whitcomb was awarded the tournament Most Valuable Player award. NHTI catcher Alyssa Columb earned Defensive Player of the Tournament and while Abdul earned Offensive Player honors.

The SeaWolves conclude their 2017 campaign 9-1 in conference play, 16-5 overall. Winning their second conference title in three years, the Lynx round out their season 5-4 YSCC, 7-8 overall.

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