SHARON LIFTS USJ PAST SOFTBALL IN GNAC TOURNEY, 5-3

THE BASICS 

Score:             
University on Saint Joseph (CT), 5; Emmanuel College, 3
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (25-13)
Castleton State University (26-17)
Location:         
Brighton, Mass. – Daly Field
Date:               
Saturday, May 4, 2019

THE LEAD:  Junior pitcher Amaria Sharon (Tolland, Conn.) smashed a three-run home run while hurling a complete-game in the circle to power the #2S University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays past #1N Emmanuel College, 5-3, Saturday morning in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball tournament at Daly Field. The win moves USJ on to the GNAC Championship series while the loss sends the Saints to the loser's bracket final.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Blue Jays jumped on the Saints early, scoring a run in the first to take an early 1-0 lead. Sharon led off the game with a single down the left field line and advanced to third following an outfield miscue by the Saints. She scored the game's first run on an RBI single to right field by Kara Kilmaszewski (Naugatuck, Conn.) before Emmanuel was able to retire the side trailing by a run.
• Sharon retired the side in order in the second to quickly get the USJ bats back to the plate to do more work in the bottom of the second.
• The St. Joseph bats stayed hot in the second as Morgan Skoly (Vernon, Conn.) and Amanda Thiel (Torrington, Conn.) led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Michelle Woodruff (Southington, Conn.) drove in Skoly with an RBI hit through the right side of the infield to put runners at the corners for Sharon with one out. Following a Woodruff steal to second, the Saints opted to pitched to Sharon with the open base and she made them pay blasting a three-run homer to left to give the Blue Jays a 5-0 cushion and chase EC starter Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) from the game.
• Sharon was perfect through three in the circle before EC senior outfielder Olivia Burgos (Newington, Conn.) broke it up with a leadoff double in the fourth. Burgos came around to score on an RBI double to center field by junior second baseman Kerry Sendrick (Medway, Mass.) to put Emmanuel on the board, 5-1.
• EC sophomore relief pitcher Mikayla Montemagni (Chicopee, Mass.) was phenomenal in relief keeping the game close, going four and two thirds innings and allowing no runs and just two hits.
• The Saints did not go quietly, as Sendrick led off the seventh with a single and her run came around to score on an RBI triple down the right field line by junior right fielder Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (Cambridge, Mass.) to cut the lead to 5-2. Senior shortstop Audrey Esakoff (Ventura, Calif.) kept the inning alive with a two-out, RBI single to left to plate Ramirez-Tejeda and make it 5-3, sending the tying run to the plate but Sharon was able to record the final out and send the Blue Jays on to the championship series.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Sharon improves to 13-5 on the year, avenging an early-season loss to the Saints in which Emmanuel run-ruled the Blue Jays on March 31. She also finished the day going 2-for-2 with 3 RBI, two runs scored and a walk at the plate to help her cause.
• Kieselback suffers her first loss in the circle since March 30 to fall to 12-6 on the season.
• Sendrick and Esakoff each finished the game with two hits apiece for the Saints while McKenna Driscoll () was the other Blue Jay to collect multiple hits.
  

UP NEXT

• The Saints are back in action later today when they take on the winner of the #3N Saint Joseph's (ME) vs. #1S Simmons loser's bracket elimination contest being played at Daly Field at 12:30 PM.
• USJ will be idle until 5:30 PM when the GNAC Softball Championship series begins. The Blue Jays need just one win to take the crown and if needed, will a second chance at it tomorrow if they were to fall this evening.