MANCHESTER, N.H. - Top-seeded Adelphi University held off a late rally from second-seeded University of New Haven on Saturday afternoon to claim its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Softball Championship, 4-3.

New Haven scored once in the sixth and twice more in the seventh to make it a one-run game, but Adelphi starting pitcher Laurin Watts got Jess Spivey to ground out and Keri Tricinelli to strike out with two runners aboard in the final frame to seal the win.

Watts allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits with four strikeouts to record the decisive win for the Panthers. She was also named Most Valuable Player of the championship for her efforts.

Adelphi scored four times in the bottom of the first, as catcher Elizabeth Lindner delivered a three-run, two-out double in the frame, scoring Jeanine Leo, Katie Andrews and Amy Caird. Andrews drove in the Panthers only other run earlier in the inning on a single to left that scored Emily Dorko.

But both offenses were quiet from there on out, until the Chargers made it 4-1 in the sixth on an RBI single by Lucy Francisco. Then in the seventh, New Haven shortstop and Northeast-10 Player of the Year Christina Gelardi hit a two-run homer after teammate Brooke Fisher reached on an error, making it a one-run game.

But after the next two hitters reached, Watts retired the next two in order to end the game.

Adelphi centerfielder Emily Dorko went 3-for-4 in the victory, while first baseman Katie Andrews turned in a 2-for-3 performance. 

Watts, Lindner and Dorko were all named to the All-Championship Team from Adelphi, while Lindsey Couturier and Micah Stonesifer represented New Haven on the team. Southern New Hampshire University's Katie Caruso and Southern Connecticut State University's Ashley Downs also earned recognition.

The Brown and Gold will find out who is going to join them in the NCAA Division II East Regional at 10:30 am on Monday, May 6 when the NCAA selection show kick-off on NCAA.com.

2013 Northeast-10 Softball All-Championship Team
Emily Dorko, Adelphi 
Elizabeth Lindner, Adelphi
Laurin Watts, Adelphi
Lindsey Couturier, New Haven
Micah Stonesifer, New Haven
Ashley Downs, Southern Connecticut
Katie Caruso, Southern New Hampshire

Most Valuable Player - Laurin Watts