MANCHESTER, N.H. – For the third time in program history, the nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College softball team will advance to the 2021 NCAA Division II East Region Championship Finals, thanks to Friday's 2-0 blanking of top-seeded and nationally-ranked Georgian Court University.

The No. 18 team in all of NCAA Division II, Saint Anselm has won each of its past 15 games and improves to 31-4 overall after defeating Adelphi (11-1) on Thursday and Georgian Court (2-0) on Friday. The Lions, who are ranked No. 22 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Poll, played two games on Friday, falling to the Hawks in shutout fashion before claiming a 5-3 win over Adelphi.

The rematch is set as No. 22 Georgian Court will have the opportunity to play Saint Anselm once again, this time in the regional final. One Hawks victory on Saturday clinches the program's second NCAA Division II East Region Championship while Georgian Court, having lost Friday's showdown, will need two victories on Saturday to earn the title. The NCAA Division II Softball National Championship will be contested in Denver, Colo. later this month.

The opening game begins at high noon at the South Athletic Fields and the if-necessary game will be contested around 2:30 p.m.

Senior Morgan Perry (Bethany, Conn.) led the Hawks with 13 strikeouts, allowing just four hits in the process. With the complete game, Perry broke the program's all-time record with 77, surpassing Lori Cillo '94. Perry also earned her 19th win of the season, notching the 86th victory of her career. Friday's shutout marked the 18th that the Hawks have earned in 2021, with 13 of those being credited to Perry.

Junior Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) stroked a solo home run, her second of the NCAA postseason, in her first at-bat of the contest, putting the Hawks on the scoreboard first.

With a one-run lead, Perry went to work by striking out six of the contest's first seven batters. With two runners on base in the second, senior Erin Thompson (Newton, N.H.) singled up the middle, scoring senior Kat Stackrow (Wynantskill, N.Y.) from second to give Perry an insurance run.

A half inning later, Perry let up back-to-back singles in the third with two outs, but was able to get out of the jam by striking out Alyssa Herrera. Georgian Court would have the bases loaded in the fourth inning, but the Hawks were able to get a nifty double play before the inning ended on a ground out.

Perry and the Hawks did not allow a hit in the final three innings to Georgian Court, holding onto the victory.