By Ryan D. Murray

The Lady Patriots were shut out 3-0 by the Lady Oakers of Coventry during the Division I Softball Final at Rhode Island College on Wednesday evening.

Coventry senior Samantha Bergantino pitched a no-hitter and struck out eight, with one hit batsman over seven innings of work.

The good news for Pilgrim is that Bergantino graduates this year.

“Bergantino’s kind of done that to us that last couple years,” Lady Pats manager Carlos Ronda said. “So, it is what it is. Hats off to them and we’ll regroup and come back next year and see if we can finish this thing.”

“Basically, our whole team is returning except for one player, so we feel pretty good about making another run at it,” Ronda added.

Pilgrim starting pitcher Alyssa Twomey also pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on five hits while fanning eight, with two walks and one hit batsman.

Coventry senior catcher Hannah Hawley topped the Lady Oakers with a double and a two-run home run, and was hit by a pitch. Emily Cronin, a junior, added a single and a walk.

Coventry had three hits in the fourth frame and drew a 1-0 lead when Bergantino hit an RBI single.

In the fifth, Pilgrim right fielder Maddie Wrench, a junior, gunned down Abigail Choquette, who was racing from first to third after a single from Cronin. Jenna Altieri, the junior third baseman, tagged Choquette and kept the deficit at one run.

“Maddie Wrench had a great game,” Ronda said. “So, kudos to her.”

But in the sixth, Coventry junior Elyse Saccoccio led off and reached base via an error.

Next, Hawley whacked a 2-run home run over the wall in right and extended the Coventry cushion to 3-0.