New England College softball opened up North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play with two victories over Johnson State Saturday afternoon beating the Badgers 7-2 in game one and winning game two 7-1.

With the wins the Pilgrims even their overall record at 11-11, while the losses drops the Badgers to 2-12 on the season.

The Pilgrims took the 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a three-run homerun off the bat of Jamie Ray scoring Rebecca Allen and Joslyn Gallagher.  The Badgers would plate two unearned runs in the top of the second but that is the only scoring Johnson State could muster as NEC would tack on three runs in the second and plate an additional score in the fifth to win 7-2.

In addition to Jamie Ray the Pilgrims were led by Rebecca Allen who finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and 

Joslyn Gallagher who also finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  

The Badgers were led by Shannon Grier who finished 2-for-4 at the plate. 

Deb Mazzeo picked up the complete game victory allowing no earned runs on four hits and striking out six.  

Identical to game one Ray would pound a three-run homerun in the home half of the first inning scoring Colleen Holt and Brianna Castellano to pick NEC up 3-0.   Christine McNeil would put the Pilgrims up 6-0 after three ad she would score three on a double down the left field line.  Johnson would get on the board in the top half of the fifth as Hannah Leroux would homer over the center field fence cutting the lead to 6-1.  NEC would get the run back in the home half of the sixth as Brittany Distante would score on a ground out by Castellano.

Johnson's Anna Bingham was the only player in game two with a multi-hit game, including a single and a double.

Picking up the win on the mound in game two was Deb Mazzeo who allowed the one earned run on three hits and striking out four.

New England College will return to action on Saturday, April 16 when they host conference opponent University of Maine Farmington.

Johnson State College will hit the field again on Wednesday, April 13 when they travel to take on non-conference opponent Suffolk University.