Top-seeded University of Bridgeport built a 4-0 lead and held off St. Thomas Aquinas College’s late rallies to score a 5-4 win and sweep the East Coast Conference’s best-of-three championship softball series today at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Ct.

The win earns Bridgeport, now 22-7, an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament that begins Wednesday at St. Anselm College In Manchester, N.H. Third-seeded STAC, now 24-13, must sit, wait and hope for one of three at-large bids to the regional tourney that will be announced on Sunday night at 10pm via NCAA.com.

Bridgeport jumped out fast against STAC's starting pitcher Carissa Della Vecchia with two runs in the first inning keyed by Samantha Schiebe’s two-run double. They added two more runs in the fourth inning on Hailey Kim's run-producing single and a double steal that plated a run. The Spartans threatened all game against Bridgeport starter Kaite Burawski before finally breaking through in the fifth inning on Della Vecchia’s long two-run double to right field. UB added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-2 advantage before the Spartans roared back in the bottom of the seventh.

Amanda Castro’s double to left field scored Della Vecchia to cut the deficit to 5-3 and teammate Amanda Schweitzer singled to right field to drive in Castro to reduce the deficit to 5-4. However, Burawski was able to get the final two outs to give UB its second straight conference championship. Burawski was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

STAC’s Paige Toothaker pitched well in relief and Missy Sadler closed her collegiate career with a hit and a run scored.