FRANKLIN, Mass. – April 3, 2021– The Dean College softball team won its first game as a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) by defeating Rivier, 5-2, in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Rivier rebounded with a 12-3 win in game two.

A lot has happened since the last time the Dean softball team took the field more than a year ago. Today, the team made history as the first Dean program to record a victory as an official member of NCAA Division III and the GNAC.

Dean is now 1-1 and will return to the field next Saturday for a home doubleheader against Albertus Magnus. Rivier goes to 3-1 and will host Saint Joseph's (ME) on Saturday.

GAME ONE – Dean 5, Rivier 2

Sophomore Zoe Coleman (Warwick, R.I.) earned the victory on the mound for the Bulldogs with a complete game allowing two runs on eight hits.

Dean put two runs across in its first at-bat on a couple of Rivier miscues.

The Raiders cut the deficit in half in the top of the second, but Dean responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs to take a 5-1 lead. Sophomore Alex Marie (Danvers, Mass.) knocked in a run with a ground rule double and junior Miranda Seacord (Cambridge, N.Y.) scored a pair with a double to center.

Rivier added a run in the seventh, but Coleman closed the door to record the complete game victory.

Marie led seven Bulldogs in the hit column with two doubles.

Sydney Greeno suffered the loss for the Raiders and struck out 11 batters in six innings.

Kayla Miles and Kasey Smith had two hits apiece to lead Rivier.

GAME TWO – Rivier 12, Dean 3

Rivier took an early 1-0 lead when Katerina St. Angelo singled through the right side to bring in Amanda Atkinson in the top of the first.

Miranda Seacord tied the game with an RBI single and was followed by a Jaylee Martinez (Pawtucket, R.I.) RBI groundout to give Dean a 2-1 lead after an inning.

Each team scored a run in the second to keep the Bulldogs in the lead by one, 3-2. Alex Marie knocked in Madison Mayo (North Attleboro, Mass.) with a double to center.

The Raiders then scored five runs in the top of the third and added five more in the top of the fifth to end the game after five innings with a 12-3 margin.

Nicole Verrette earned the win with five strikeouts to improve to 2-0 for Rivier.

St. Angelo led the Raiders with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. Kasey Smith and Katie Welch contributed two hits apiece.

First-year Sari Albury (Nassau, Bahamas) was saddled with the loss after tossing 4.1 innings. She surrendered just four earned runs.

Seacord had two hits to lead Dean.