SOFTBALL WINS NINTH STRAIGHT WITH GNAC SWEEP OVER RIVIER
BOSTON, Mass. - With two more victories on Sunday afternoon, the Emmanuel College softball team tied the program-record for consecutive wins at nine following a 7-4 and 10-2 GNAC sweep over Rivier University at Roberto Clemente Field.
April 7, 2019
The Basics
Score: Emmanuel College, 7; Rivier University, 4 -- Emmanuel College, 10; Rivier University, 2 (5 innings)
Records: Emmanuel College Saints, 13-9, 4-0 GNAC; Rivier University Raiders 4-12, 0-4 GNAC
Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Sunday, April 7, 2019
The Lead – With two more victories on Sunday afternoon, the Emmanuel College softball team tied the program-record for consecutive wins at nine following a 7-4 and 10-2 GNAC sweep over Rivier University at Roberto Clemente Field.
Game 1
How it Happened
- Following three scoreless innings, the Raiders struck first in the top of the fourth on a two-run blast to center field by Taylor Rowsell (Chelmsford, Mass.) to put Rivier on the board at 2-0.
- The Saints responded in the bottom half plating six runs to take control of the game for good as freshman designated player Grace Orcutt (Lexington, Mass.) got things going with an RBI double to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
- Junior second baseman Kerry Sendrick (Medway, Mass.) tied the score at 2-2 with an RBI groundout to plate Orcutt.
- The inning appeared to end as junior outfield Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (Cambridge, Mass.) "struck out" but due to an unreported re-entry substitution by Rivier, the at-bat continued and the Saints made the Raiders pay, plating four more runs after the miscue.
- Ramirez-Tejeda kept the inning alive with a single, senior shortstop Audrey Esakoff (Ventura, Calif.) walked and junior outfielder Sarah Hoisl (West Hartford, Conn.) crushed a three-run homer to left-center to break the tie at 5-2.
- Freshman third baseman Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I.) added the sixth run with an RBI single to left to plate senior Olivia Burgos to account for the 6-2 score through four.
- Rivier got a run back in the fifth on an RBI double from Rowsell to make it 6-3 but Emmanuel answered with a run in the bottom of the frame on a sac fly to left by Esakoff to bump the lead back to four at 7-3.
- The Raiders added a run in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Sydney Greeno (Shirley, Mass.) before EC senior Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) closed the door for the 7-4 final.
Game 2
How it Happened
- Emmanuel got the action started with three runs in the first and never looked back, starting the scoring on a double-steal of second and home by senior Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) and Burgos to make it 1-0.
- Freshman catcher Avery Webb (Hollis, N.H.) made it 2-0, legging out an RBI infield single while the third run came around to score on the way due to a Raider miscue.
- Rivier answered with two in the top of the second to make it 3-2 as Mikayla Ramsdell (Salem, N.H.) plated Rowsell with a sac fly before Kellie Kennedy () connected on an RBI double to drive in the second run.
- The Saints continued the offensive attack with three more runs in the bottom of the second to move the lead to 6-2.
- Another double-steal, this time by Burgos and Hoisl made it 4-2 before Lacroix drove in the fifth EC run with an RBI single to left.
- Orcutt doubled to deep centerfield to plate Lacroix to account for the 6-2 score through two innings.
- In the third, Ramirez-Tejeda belted a two-run shot to right-centerfield to bump the lead to 8-2.
- Following a scoreless fourth, the Saints got an RBI single from Hoisl to go up 9-2 and walked off with the win on an RBI bunt single by Burgos to plate Hoisl and end the game at 10-2.
- Burgos also got the win throwing five innings and scattering four hits while striking out five to improve to 3-2 on the year.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Kieselback improves to 5-5 on the year in the circle with the Game 1 win, striking out a career-high 14 batters in the complete game victory. The 14 K's is the most by an Emmanuel hurler since the 2016 season when Jill Kilcoyne '16 fanned 15 batters in a 2-0 win over Suffolk back on April 9, 2016.
- The Saints connected on two more home runs on the day; have now homered in five straight games and now have 20 on the season to lead the GNAC.
- Orcutt has now hit safely in 10 straight games and is batting .529 over that stretch (18-34).
- In her four starts in the pitching circle this season, Burgos has helped her own cause at the plate by going a combined 6-for-9 in those games with six runs scored.
- Webb has driven in a run in her last five games, collecting a total of 11 RBI over that span.
UP NEXT
- The Saints return to action on Tuesday, April 9 when they travel to Norton, Mass. to take on Wheaton College in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3:00 PM.
- Rivier hosts Maine Farmington on Wednesday, April 10 at 3:00 and 5:00 PM.