BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – It was only destiny that the final season at Pace Field on Pace University's Briarcliff Campus would be a dream come true, as the Pace University softball team captured its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Championship at Pace Field on Saturday. The Setters defeated No. 25 Adelphi University, 5-2, in the semifinal round on Saturday, and then took down defending champion Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) in the Championship game, 7-4.
 
"We are absolutely ecstatic that the girls got it, together," said 34th-year head coach Claudia Stabile. "The team hit the ball so exceptionally well, and the way we've been stating they could perform every day in every game. And our pitching staff was absolutely off the charts phenomenal today."
 
2016 has been a season of many firsts for the Setters. Fresh off winning her first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Softball Coach of the Year award, Coach Stabile now takes home her first Northeast-10 Conference Championship Trophy after the team hosted Northeast-10 Conference Softball Championship Weekend in Briarcliff Manor for the very first time.
 
"She did it for us," said Stabile of Pace Field. "Every time we think we're leaving this field, we always end up back here. Now that we're leaving for good, we gave her a proper farewell."
 
 

 

Sophomore center fielder Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, CA/San Marcos High School) was named the 2016 Northeast-10 Championship Most Valuable Player after having a spectacular pair of games on Saturday. She hit 5-for-6 with five RBIs, three runs scored, two doubles and a home run to help the Setters take home a new piece of hardware. Labs was joined by sophomore Jaclyn Flores (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual High School) and senior Victoria Quinones (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) on the 2016 Northeast-10 All-Championship Team, as the representing members from the Pace softball team.
 
The Setters have earned the Northeast-10 Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Tournament. They will first play in the NCAA East Regionals, which will take place from Thursday, May 5, to Saturday, May 7. The Setters will learn their fate this Monday, May 2, during the NCAA Division II Softball Selection Show, which will air at 10 a.m. on NCAA.com.
 
NE-10 Semifinals: Pace 5, #25 Adelphi 2
 
The Setters drew the only tournament-qualifying team it had yet to defeat this season in the semifinal round of the NE-10 Championships, Adelphi. The nationally-ranked No. 25 Panthers had defeated the Setters all three times they played this season, but they did not allow that to intimidate them heading into Saturday's contest.
 
After a scoreless first inning on both sides, Adelphi got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second. First baseman Fallon McCarthy sent a home run over the left-field fence, giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Setters managed to load the bases in the second after sophomore right fielder drew a walk with two on. Labs then came up with her first big hit of the day, and screaming double into left-center, bringing home all three runners to put Pace on top, 3-1.
 
Junior starter Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) ran into trouble in the fourth, as a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks loaded the bases with two down for the Panthers. Second baseman Nicole Camera drew another walk, bringing in McCarthy to cut into Pace's lead and make it a 3-2 game.
 
In the visitors' half of the fifth, senior Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) came on in relief of Nelson with two on and nobody out. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Left fielder Christina Palmenteri then attempted a suicide squeeze, but junior catcher Nikole Larm (Brewster, NY/Brewster) got a quick jump on the ball, and was able to tag the runner out heading home for the second out. McCann then got center fielder Krista King to ground out to first and end the inning.
 
A 1-2-3 inning for McCann in the sixth set the Setters up to add to their lead. With Chillinsky and Labs on base, junior second baseman Haley Hernandez (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real) singled into left field, looking like she would load the bases. Instead, the left fielder let the ball roll through her legs, allowing Chillinsky to come home and make it a 4-2 lead for Pace. Sophomore designated player Surina Sandhu (Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove High School) then roped a single up the middle, bringing in Labs to take the lead to 5-2. McCann went on to shut down the Panthers in order in the seventh, sending Pace to the finals.
 
Nelson improved to 11-5 on the year with the win, allowing two runs in four innings with three strikeouts. McCann was awarded the save after a three-inning relief appearance without allowing a single baserunner. She also fanned three batters. Adelphi's Lindsay Mapes took the loss to fall to 16-12.
 
Labs hit 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a run and a double in Pace's semifinal conquest. Sandhu went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Chillinsky scored twice in a 1-for-1 effort that included a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Larm turned in a 1-for-2 outing, also scoring a run. Quinones also scored a run after going 1-for-3.
 
McCarthy went 1-for-1 with an RBI, two runs and a solo home run to lead Adelphi on Saturday. Camera batted 1-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Adelphi advanced to the semifinals after first defeating the Southwest Division's No. 4-seed, the University of New Haven, in the first round back on Wednesday in Garden City, N.Y. The Panthers were victorious over Northeast-Division No. 2 Stonehill College on Friday at Pace Field in their quarterfinal matchup.
 
Championship: Pace 7, Southern New Hampshire 4
 
The 2016 Northeast-10 Title game featured the top seed from the Southwest Division against the top seed from the Northeast Division. The Setters and Penmen had squared off just once earlier this season, with Pace defeating SNHU on the first day of its season, March 11, by a score of 3-2 down in Clermont, Fla. The Penmen entered this year's playoffs looking like a strong bet to repeat as conference champions.
 
The first two innings of the title game were quiet, as neither team was able to string together much offense in the early goings. The Setters changed that in the bottom of the third. Labs singled to left with one away for just the second hit of the day for Pace. Sophomore shortstop Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North) then blasted a two-run homer off a tree past the left-center field fence, putting the Setters on top, 2-0.
 
SNHU opened the fourth with back-to-back foul outs to left. Designated player Devin Rabidou then walked, and moved all the way over to third after a wild pitch and an error. Catcher Jessica Torsiello took advantage, and singled her in to cut Pace's lead in half.
 
Junior catcher Samantha Lima (Brawley, CA/Saddleback College) quickly got the Setters going in the home half of the fourth by immediately smacking a double down the left-field line. Sophomore left fielder Tara Bernstein (Glen Oaks, NY/Bayside High School) moved her over to third on a hard grounder to second, and Chillinsky finished the job with a single up the middle to make it a 3-1 game.
 
Flores recovered nicely after some bad luck in the fourth, forcing three-straight ground outs by the Penmen in the fifth. She allowed one hit in the sixth, a two-out single for pitcher Sarah Lavallee, but kept her and SNHU at bay once again.
 
The Setters then continued what Lew started back in the third inning. Chillinsky was hit by a pitch with one away in the sixth, and then Labs managed to slap-hit a long fly ball over the left-center field wall for Pace's second two-run homer of the game, putting the Setters up, 5-1. Lew drew a walk in the next plate appearance, and then Hernandez got in on the two-run homer party with a shot well over the left-field fence to increase Pace's lead to six runs.
 
Flores quickly got the first two outs of the seventh, but things got interesting from there. Shortstop Brittany Perdigao singled up the middle, and then center fielder Mo Hannan followed suit with another hit up the middle. Second baseman Lindsey Bolduc then hit a three-run homer to left, keeping SNHU's hopes alive by cutting the deficit to three. After Coach Stabile came out to calm down Flores and the team, right fielder Erin Garczynski skied one to right, playable for Chillinsky, who camped out under the ball and made the catch to clear the bench and start the celebration.
 
Flores went the complete seven innings to pick up the biggest win of her short career with the Setters and improve to 8-4 on the season. SNHU started Sarah Lavallee, the 2016 NE-10 Pitcher of the Year, took the loss to fall to 16-6 after allowing five runs in 5.1 innings.
 
Labs batted 3-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs, a double and a homer in the championship victory. Lew hit a two-run home run, and scored a second time in a 1-for-3 outing. Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBIs and a long ball. Chillinsky hit 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Lima batted 1-for-3 with a double and a run.
 
SNHU's Bolduc hit 1-for-3 with a three-run homer. Torsiello batted 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Perdigao went 1-for-3 with a run. Lavallee went 2-for-3 from the dish.
 
As Coach Stabile said many times after Saturday's win, there is a tomorrow for the Setters. Pace will find out its destination on Monday during the NCAA Division II Softball Selection Show, and will continue its season in the NCAA East Regionals beginning on Thursday, May 5. The Selection Show can be seen at 10 a.m. at http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2016/2602&date=2016/05/02
 
For all information regarding Pace University softball, log on to www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics) and follow Pace Softball on Twitter (@Pace_Softball) and on Instagram (@Pace_Softball).
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