NASHUA – Riding a seven-game winning streak to close out the regular season, the Rivier softball team has secured the No. 1 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division and will host this year’s GNAC Pod Play beginning today at Raider Diamond.

The Raiders open postseason play on Thursday, May 1 under the lights at Raider Diamond when they host No. 4N Saint Joseph’s (Me.) at 7 p.m.

The Raiders wrapped up the regular season with a 21-13 overall record, going 13-3 in conference play and 9-3 against divisional opponents.

As the top seed in the North, Rivier will welcome No. 2S Albertus Magnus, No. 3S Saint Joseph (Conn.), and the winner of the North Division play-in game, No. 4N Saint Joseph’s (Me.)

In her second year at the helm, head coach Noelle Sass has guided the program to its best season since 2012, when the team finished 26-14. Under her leadership, Rivier is hosting Pod Play for just the second time in program history and the first time since the Raiders’ 2010 championship season.

The Raiders began their 2025 campaign at the Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne, Fla., finishing 3-7 with two wins over Mount Mary and another over Houghton. Upon returning to New England, Rivier swept its first true road series at Fitchburg St., outscoring the Falcons 32-12 across two games. The team closed out March with a pair of setbacks against UMass Boston and followed with a non-conference split against intrastate rival Keene State in the programs’ first-ever meetings.

Rivier opened GNAC play with a statement sweep of Saint Joseph’s (Me.), earning its first win over the Monks since 2018 and first-ever series sweep. In their conference home opener, the Raiders dropped two games to Simmons before bouncing back with a sweep of Mitchell during the NFCA Strikeout Cancer Games at Raider Diamond. Non-conference play wrapped up in Boston, where Rivier took both games against Wentworth to even its record at 12-12.

The Raiders returned home and swept Saint Joseph (Conn.) during the Diabetes Awareness Games, then hit the road to face first-place Emmanuel, earning a series split. Rivier closed out the regular season in dominant fashion, winning six straight games over North Division foes Anna Maria, New England Col., and Norwich, outscoring their opponents 59-16 to take the top North Division spot.

Offensively, the Raiders made significant strides in 2025, ranking second in the GNAC in hits (328), runs (229), and batting average (.330). They also led the conference in on-base percentage and ranked 71st in Division III in that category.

Graduate student Hannah Muchemore has been a force at the plate in her first season of collegiate softball, leading the Raiders in nearly every offensive category. Her .416 batting average ranks ninth overall and third in conference play (.500), while she sits tied for fourth in the GNAC with 32 RBIs, 22 of which came during league games, ranking her third in that category. Muchemore also ranks among the top 10 in total bases (66), slugging percentage (.584), on-base percentage (.461), and hits (47). Not far behind, junior Hayley Rapaglia has enjoyed her most productive season to date, batting .352 while driving in 20 runs and recording 32 hits. The two-time GNAC Player of the Week set career highs in nearly every offensive category.

Junior Kylee Caetano has been a steady presence in the lineup, batting .372 overall and excelling in GNAC play with a .455 average, which ranks sixth in the conference. She has totaled 42 hits, 26 RBIs, and 57 total bases. Fellow junior Olivia Couto has also been a reliable contributor at the plate, hitting .318 with 34 hits and 26 RBIs. Sophomore Sophia Quinlan, the former GNAC Player of the Week, has emerged as a key run producer in the middle of the order, batting .368 with 25 hits, 24 RBIs, and a .544 slugging percentage. Rounding out the lineup are Hayleigh Silva, Avry Nelson, Sarah Frazier, Kayla Miles, and Kyleigh Guerette.

Sophomore Hailey Berube anchored the Rivier pitching staff, appearing in 22 games and tossing 100.1 innings. She posted a 9-7 overall record, including a 5-2 mark in GNAC play. Berube ranked sixth in the conference in ERA both overall (3.35) and in league games (2.38), while also finishing 10th in strikeouts with 52.

Senior Courtney Marioles served as a dual threat for the Raiders, making an impact both in the circle and at the plate. She went 8-2 on the season with a perfect 5-0 record in GNAC play, tossing 64.2 innings with a 5.78 ERA. Offensively, she hit .387 across 93 at-bats, tallying 36 hits, 18 RBIs, and a .943 OPS. Marioles finished tied for seventh in the conference in wins.

The Raiders’ pitching staff also featured key contributions from Rapaglia and Silva. Rapaglia appeared in 22.1 innings across 11 games, posting a 5.01 ERA with 19 strikeouts and limiting opponents to a .211 batting average. Silva, who threw 32.0 innings in 14 appearances, held a 6.34 ERA and recorded 13 strikeouts.

TOURNEY INFORMATION

Here is the schedule and a link to the information page Rivier has set up on its website:

The No. 1 North Division seed Rivier softball team 21-13 (13-3 GNAC) is set to host Pod A of the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Tournament at Raider Diamond from Thursday, May 1 to Sunday, May 4.

No. 3S Saint Joseph (Conn.) will play at No. 2S Albertus Magnus (Game 4A) on Thursday at 3 p.m. and will join the pod at Raider Diamond on Saturday.

SCHEDULE

Day One – Thursday, May 1

Game 3A – #1N Rivier vs. #4N Saint Joseph’s (Me.), 7 p.m.

Day Two – Saturday, May 3

Game 5A – Game 3A Loser vs. Game 4A Loser, 11 AM

Game 6A – Game 3A Winner vs. Game 4A Winner, 4 PM

Game 7A – Game 5A Winner vs. Game 6A Loser, 6 PM

Day Three – Sunday, May 4

Game 8A – Game 6A Winner vs. Game 7A Winner, TBA

Game 9A (If Necessary) – Rematch of Game 8A opponents, TBA

For more information and live updates go to https://rivierathletics.com/news/2025/4/30/gnac-softball-pod-a-information.aspx

Additional information regarding the Pod B schedule can be found on the official GNAC website.