Saints Extend Winning Streak to 12 in Sweep over JWU; 9-3, 13-3

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel College, 9; Johnson & Wales University, 3
Emmanuel College, 13; Johnson & Wales University, 3 (6 inn.)
Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (13-3, 6-0 GNAC)
Johnson & Wales University Wildcats (14-3, 6-2 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Sunday, April 18, 2021

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• Johnson & Wales junior pitcher Summer Ramundo (Lincoln Park, N.J.) helped her cause early, belting a solo home run to right centerfield to open the scoring in the second inning to give JWU a 1-0 lead.
• EC responded in the bottom half of the frame with the bottom of the lineup doing the damage. Sophomore centerfield Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.) single down the right field line and came around to score on a line drive homer to right center by her outfield counterpart Jadynne Hill (Haverhill, Mass.) to move the Saints on top, 2-1.
• The Wildcats got the runs right back to regain the lead in the third. Emmanuel appeared to retire the side in order but an illegal pitch call erased the third out and extended the at-bat for Megan Antaya (Somerset, Mass.) who worked a walk. Next up, senior Jill Pulek (Cheshire, Conn.) laced a triple to the right centerfield wall, driving in Antaya. Pulek scored on the play on an errant throw to third to account for the third JWU run of the game and make it a 3-2 score.
• Emmanuel batted around in the fourth to regain the lead by plating four runs to move ahead 6-3. Pacheco blasted a two-run homer to left center to pull EC ahead, 4-3 and then the Saints got an RBI groundout by sophomore third baseman Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) to make it 5-3. Senior first baseman Emily Blanchard (Sturbridge, Mass.) got the final RBI of the inning, getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in Emmanuel's sixth run of the day. JWU relief pitcher Sage Borkowski (Oxford, Conn.) thwarted the threat, stranding the bases loaded to get out of the inning with a strikeout to retire the side and keep it a three-run game.
• The Wildcats threated in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs but EC senior pitcher Megan Long (Greenville, R.I.) worked out of the jam to preserve the 6-3 EC lead.
• Amsler added some breathing room with a three-run moonshot to right center in the sixth to bump the lead to 9-3.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Long went the distance to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the year, allowing the three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out six.
• Pacheco and Hill combined to go 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored out of the eight and nine spots in the order.
• Ramundo suffered the loss to fall to 7-2 overall, allowing four runs on five hits over three innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• Johnson & Wales struck first with a run in the third as sophomore Meaghan Gurska (Revere, Mass.) was hit in the arm to lead off the frame. She moved over to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a sac bunt before scoring on an RBI groundout by first year Julia Huzi (Trumbull, Conn.) to make it 1-0.
• Emmanuel grabbed the lead in the third inning as the first four batters reached base and three came around to score to put the Saints ahead, 3-1. First year shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) delivered the big blow with a two-RBI single up the middle.
• The Saints opened the game up to a 7-1 lead with four runs in the fifth. Amsler collected a two-RBI single up the middle and sophomore pitcher Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) collected an RBI single to give her some more insurance in the circle.
• JWU got two back in the sixth with a massive two-run homer by Kaelani Gamble (Vancouver, Wa.) to pull the score to 7-3.
• Pacheco's red-hot day continued in the sixth with an RBI double to center to move the score to 8-3. Junior Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.) kept the ball rolling with an RBI single and Amsler was able to close out the day with a game-ending grand slam, 13-3.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Dawe completed the six-inning game and earned the win, improving to 7-2 on the year.
• Amsler and Conti combined for 8 RBIs to lead the Saints offensively.
• The 13 runs scored by EC was their season-high while it was also the most runs allowed in a game this season by JWU.
• Livia Feole (Cranston, RI) recorded the loss to fall to 2-1 overall, allowing seven runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings of work.

UP NEXT

• The Saints are idle until next Saturday, April 24 when they travel to Dean College for a GNAC twinbill scheduled for 12:00 & 2:00 PM starts.
• JWU hosts University of Saint Joseph (CT) on Thursday, April 22 in Providence, R.I. in conference play starting at 4:00 PM.