Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BEVERLY/WENHAM, Mass.--The No. 3 seed Western New England University softball team twice staved off elimination on Thursday in the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship Tournament, with victories over fourth-seeded University of New England, 9-1, at Endicott College, and No. 6 Curry College, 2-1 in 10 innings, at Gordon College. The Golden Bears improve to 26-17 on the season.

Western New England will play at top-seeded Endicott (19-19 overall, 17-1 CCC) in a loser-out contest at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the winner earning the right to face No. 2 Roger Williams (22-18, 14-4) for the conference championship at noon.

Against the Nor'easters (22-17-1), Western New England broke open a close 1-0 game with five runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth for a commanding 8-0 lead. Winning freshman pitcher Leah Torre helped her own cause with a three-run blast to center field for her first career home run. She did not allow a run and just three singles in four innings in the circle, striking out three to even her record at 6-6.

Junior Katie Eckert went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored, as WNE outhit UNE 10 to 6.

Casey Brigha scored UNE's lone run on an error in the top of the fifth. The defending CCC champions are eliminated.

Senior co-captain Laura Madaio scored the game-winning run on an error in the bottom of the 10th inning to eliminate the Colonels from the tournament. Madaio led off as a pinch-hitter and promptly lace a single down the left field line. Two outs later, sophomores Samantha Mulhern singled to center field and Lauren Zambrano walked to load the bases. Then sophomore catcher Grace Kucharski lifted a fly to right but the ball was dropped, allowing Madaio to cross home plate from third base.

Curry (24-18) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Paige Smigiel doubled home Kaitlyn Maderios.

Then in the fourth, Eckert had a RBI-double to left-center to knot the score at 1-1.

Zambrano (17-5) went the distance in striking out nine and walking none. She gave up just three hits and an earned run.