Rhode Island College

Middlebury, Vt.--Sophomore first baseman Jillian Guilfoyle (Derby, Conn.) went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double and a walk as No. 5 Rhode Island College outlasted No. 4 Eastern Connecticut, 5-3 (11 innings), in game one of the 2026 Little East Softball Championship played at Middlebury's Forbes Field on Thursday afternoon.
 
THE BASICS
No. 5 Rhode Island College 5, No. 4 Eastern Connecticut 3 (11 innings)
Rhode Island College (25-12)
Eastern Connecticut (22-17)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Guilfoyle got it started for the Anchorwomen in the top of the first with an RBI single, but the Warriors responded with their own run in the fourth to knot it up at one.
 
• With the game still tied after seven stanzas, the game headed to extra innings where the first runs did not come until the 10th frame. Junior third baseman Melanie Earley (Lumberton, N.J.) helped put the Anchorwomen up by a pair, 3-1, with a two-run double.  
 
• However, Eastern tied it back up in the bottom of the 10th as a RIC error with two outs brought in a pair of runs to even the game.
 
• RIC would make no mistake in the 11^th as senior center fielder Sophia Crudale (Cranston, R.I.) notched the game-winning hit as she doubled to put the Anchorwomen ahead, 5-3, for good.  
 
• Freshman pitcher Mia Crudale (Cranston, R.I.) closed out the Warriors in the 11^th, throwing 253 pitches in the game to go along with nine punchouts to win her 14^th game (14-1).
 
WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will face No. 1-seeded VTSU Castleton in game four of the Little East Championship on Friday, May 8 (10 a.m.).