The Sacred Heart University softball team defeated No. 5 Quinnipiac, 7-5, in the opening round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship on May 7 in Poughkeepsie, New York.
The victory marks Sacred Heart’s first game win in the MAAC Championship since joining the league last season. The result advances them to face No. 1 Marist later that day.
Quinnipiac took an early lead by scoring two runs in the second inning. Sacred Heart responded in the third when Elle Leckrone hit a two-run home run to tie the score at 2-2. In the fifth inning, Leckrone led off with a double and was later driven home by Ella Stoops, giving Sacred Heart a brief lead before Quinnipiac rallied for three runs in the sixth to go ahead 5-3.
Sacred Heart mounted a comeback in their half of the sixth inning by scoring four runs. Alexa Barbera started with a triple and scored on Nicole Henke’s single. With two outs, Leckrone delivered an RBI single to tie it at five before Cierra Bender hit a double that brought home two more runs for a 7-5 advantage.
Emily Heath pitched six innings for Sacred Heart, allowing five earned runs and earning her seventh win of the season. Emily Campion recorded her first collegiate save by closing out the seventh inning without allowing any runs. The game ended on a double play started by Stoops at third base.
This win is also Sacred Heart’s third consecutive victory over Quinnipiac and highlights key performances from players such as Leckrone—who went four-for-four with three RBIs—and Bender, who drove in two crucial late-game runs.
