SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 3, 2016) - Senior pitcher Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) allowed just two hits over ten shutout innings and sophomore Jenn Luba (Plymouth, Conn.) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth as the top-seeded Western New England University softball team opened its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title defense with a 1-0 victory over fifth-seeded Roger Williams this evening at Golden Bear Softball Park.
 
Western New England (23-16) will host third-seeded Salve Regina on Thursday when the double elimination phase of the CCC Tournament continues, while Roger Williams (21-18), which defeated the University of New England in today's early game, will take on sixth-seeded Eastern Nazarene on Thursday at American International College.
 
Grieger was dominant in the circle this evening, retiring the first 18 batters that she faced in order before Roger Williams senior outfielder Taylor Messier (Cranston, R.I.) led off the seventh inning with a bloop single to left field, breaking up her perfect game bid. Grieger, the CCC Pitcher of the Year, struck out three batters and improved to 15-6 this season with the win.
 
Roger Williams freshman pitcher Juliet Hulme (Duxbury, Mass.) was nearly as impressive, surrendering just one run on five hits over 9.1 innings of work.
 
With both pitchers in control, the game reached the tenth inning without any runs on the board. Grieger worked around Messier's second leadoff single to get out of the top of the tenth unscathed, and the senior then led off the bottom of the inning with a single through the left side of the infield.
 
After moving up to second on a sacrifice by junior Katie Wood (Westport, Mass.) and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Grieger came in to score the game-winning run on Luba's walk-off single.
 
Junior Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) and seniors McKenzie Pezze (Albany, N.Y.) and Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine) had one hit each for the Golden Bears.