BABSON PARK, Mass. â€" With one swing of the bat, sophomore second base player Steph Ganser (Fairfield, CT) sent the Western New England College softball team into a winners’ bracket game of the 2006 NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship.

Ganser belted a two-run, walk-off homer over the left center field fence with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the third-seeded Golden Bears to a dramatic 10-8 victory over sixth-seeded Bridgewater State Thursday in an opening round game of the national tournament. It was the fourth homer of the season for Ganser who also added a double and scored twice.

This was the first meeting between the teams in 20 years and WNEC’s first victory over the BSC Bears in five contests.

In a game that featured 18 runs and 26 hits, Western New England College snapped a 5-5 tie with two runs in the bottom of the fifth as sophomore third base player Meredith Pacelli (Hamden, CT) drove in a run with a single and later scored on an infield hit by freshman center fielder Brenna Fitzgerald (Manchester, NH). Pacelli, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run, ripped a RBI triple that gave the Golden Bears an 8-5 lead in the fifth.

Bridgewater State (26-20) answered with two runs in the sixth and tied the contest in the seventh on a pinch-hit single by freshman Julie Martelli (Wilmington, MA) who entered the game with a 1.88 batting average.

The Golden Bears compiled 14 hits as Fitzgerald had three hits in four at-bats with a pair of RBI. Senior first base player Erin Whitcomb (North Walpole, NH) and freshman shortstop Brittany DeGennaro (Orange, CT) also had two hits and a run. Sophomore designated player Jackie Card (Greenfield, MA) contributed her team best 15th double of the season and scored four runs.

Freshman Amanda Poyant (Barnstable, MA) took the win in relief to raise her record to 4-1.

Bridgewater State led 4-2 after two innings, but committed six errors that led to five unearned runs. Freshman left fielder Lindsey Estes (Beverly, MA) led the Bears’ 12-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with two runs. Sophomore third base player Kayla Flynn (Concord, MA), the number nine hitter in the lineup, went 2-for-3 with a homer, three runs, and RBI. Freshman second base player Kristen Jackman (Stoughton, MA) was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.

Western New England College will play Rhode Island College (a 1-0 winner in nine innings over St. Joseph's, Long Island) at 2:00 p.m. Friday in a winners' bracket game.

Thursday, May 11, 2006
Game 1 - Babson 8, Endicott 1
Game 2 - Western New England College 10, Bridgewater State 8
Game 3 - Rhode Island College 1, St. Joseph’s, Long Island 0 (9 innings)
Game 4 - Williams 0, Babson 0 (suspended after five innings)

Friday, May 12, 2006
Game 4 - Williams vs. Babson, 8:00 a.m.
Game 5 - Endicott vs. St. Joseph’s, Long Island, 10:00 a.m.
Game 6 - Bridgewater State vs. Williams/Babson loser, Noon
Game 7 - Western New England College vs. Rhode Island College, 2:00 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

Tournament continues on Saturday and Sunday.