BOSTON – No. 1 Lesley University (29-6, 16-0 NECC) topped No. 2 Elms College (22-14, 13-3 NECC), 3-1, in the New England Collegiate Conference Softball Championship Saturday afternoon, earning the Lynx a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

            The Lesley battery of pitcher Cassandra Knox (Sea Cliff, NY/North Point) and catcher Molly Sarson (Sanford, ME/Sanford) shined, as Knox held the Blazers to three hits, striking out six for the complete game win. Sarson, meanwhile, went 1-for-3 with a run scored, as the sophomore was named NECC Tournament Most Valuable Player following her team's fourth straight league title, third in the NECC.

            Elms wasted no time getting on the board in the first. Alison McBride (East Providence, RI/East Providence) singled to lead off the game, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Rachel Butt (Agwam, MA/Agwam) single to center.

            Lesley jumped on top in the third thanks to a two-run double off the bat of center fielder Alyson Durben (Stow, MA/Nashoba). Freshman Maria Nazzaro singled to right to lead off the frame, and after moving to second on a sacrifice, she advanced to third after sweating out a hot box, arriving safely on a muffed Blazers throw. Two batters later, Durben sent home both Nazzaro and Sarson from second, lifting the Lynx on top 2-1 after three.

            A leadoff walk proved costly to Elms starter Destinee Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) in the fifth. After walking Sarson and Durben to lead off the inning, Durben trotted home from third on a Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, MA/Wakefield) RBI single to the hole left, adding an insurance run for a rejuvenated Knox.

            From the third to the sixth, the Lynx starter sat down 10 straight, four by way of strikeout, keeping the Blazers off the board for the final six innings. She retired the side in order in the seventh, capping a fourth straight conference championship for Lesley, which will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.

            With the win, Knox improves to 13-4 on her junior season, while Meeker falls to 12-7.

            For the Blazers, McBride went 1-for-3 with a run scored, and Butt went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Both were selected to the NECC All-Tournament Team, as was shortstop Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, MA/Lawrence).

            For the Lynx, Mercurio and fellow infielder Jenna Fralick (Woburn, MA/Woburn) were chosen to the All-Tournament Team, joining tourney MVP Sarson.

            Jen Benway's Lynx now await Monday's NCAA Tournament selection, which will determine when and where her team play's again.

2011 NECC Tournament MVP
Lesley: Molly Sarson, So., C 

2011 NECC All-Tournament Team

Newbury: Rebecca Roach, So., P

Newbury: Teressa Farioli, Jr., IF

Mitchell: Marissa Thomas, Jr., P

Mitchell: Brittany Zaccaria, Jr., OF

Elms: Rachel Butt, So., 3B

Elms: Jenna Lipscomb, Jr., SS

Elms: Alison McBride, Sr., OF

Lesley: Jenna Fralick, Jr., 3B

Lesley: Nicole Mercurio, Fr., 2B