BOX SCORE

When and Where: May 4, 2017 – North Andover, Mass. (Warrior Softball Diamond)
Score: Merrimack College 2, Southern New Hampshire University 1 (9 innings)
Records: SNHU 27-20, Merrimack 33-12

Freshman Maddy Barone (Halifax, Mass.) allowed just two runs in 8.2 innings, but a walk-off home run off the bat of Nicole Nanof lifted Northeast Division top seed Merrimack College to a 2-1 win over fourth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University in the Northeast-10 Conference Softball Championship semifinals.

After Barone retired the first two batters of the frame on a lineout to second and a groundout to third, Nanof connected on a solo shot to left that pushed the Warriors into Saturday's Northeast-10 Championship title game.

Barone went the distance for the Penmen and scattered seven hits while striking out six. Counrtney Zambello picked up the win for Merrimack after working 5.2 innings of one-hit relief.

After Barone navigated through the first, the Penmen staked her to a 1-0 lead in the second when junior Sarah Lavallee (Candia, N.H.) lined a solo shot over the wall in left. Merrimack attempted to knot the score in the bottom of the inning, as a pair of one-out singles put runners on first and second before a wild pitch moved them both into scoring position with two away. Barone bore down, and induced a pop up on the following batter to escape the inning unscathed.

In the following two innings, Southern New Hampshire looked poised to build on its lead as it put two on with two out in the third before loading the bases with one out in the fourth. Junior Katie Horiuchi (Livingston, N.J.) singled before sophomore Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Mass.) walked in front of Lavallee, who hit a towering fly ball to center that seemed destined to clear the wall, but was ultimately knocked down by the wind for the final out of the frame. Singles by freshmen Hannah Neverett (Nashua, N.H.) and Erin Tyrell (Milford, N.H.) sandwiched around a fielder's choice loaded the bases in the Penmen fourth. Barone stepped in next and lined a ball towards second, which Samantha Waskowitz made a diving catch on before flipping to first to complete an inning-ending double play.

Merrimack generated its best scoring opportunity of the afternoon in the fifth, as it put a pair of runners into scoring position. Nanof lined a one-out single into center before Tiffany Mangiameli worked a free pass. Mariah Tenney moved them up with a sacrifice bunt, but Barone again worked out of the jam by getting the final batter to ground back to the mound.

After SNHU went in order in the sixth, the Warriors quickly tied things up in the bottom of the frame when Haley Currie lined the first pitch she saw over the wall in left to make it a one-all affair through six.

Merrimack had an opportunity to walk off in the seventh after it put a runner on second with one away. Kaleigh Finigan was hit by a pitch to lead off the Warrior seventh before Nanof moved her up to second. However, Barone again locked in, as she dispatched the following two hitters on groundouts to push the game into extras.

Both sides threatened in the eighth but were unable to scratch a run across, as Garczynski hammered a pitch over the wall in right that was reeled back in before Merrimack squandered a leadoff single.

Nanof finished 2-for-3 for the Warriors, while Currie and Alyssa Williamson both turned in 2-for-4 afternoons. 

Notes:
- The Penmen failed to advance to the Northeast-10 Championship title game for the first time since the 2013 season.
- Lavallee's home run was her eighth of the year and No. 25 of her career. Lavallee is now third all-time in program history in home runs behind only Kate Stanley '13 (35) and Lindsey Bolduc '16 (27).
- Southern New Hampshire has now won at least 27 games for six consecutive seasons dating back to 2012.

For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams here.