Softball Splits With JWU to Close Out Regular-Season

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel College, 1; Johnson & Wales University, 17 (5 inn.)
Emmanuel College, 10; Johnson & Wales University, 5
Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (16-4, 9-1 GNAC)
Johnson & Wales University Wildcats (16-7, 8-4 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• It was all JWU from the jump as back-to-back-to-back homeruns by the WIldcats in the first inning gave them an early 3-0 advantage. 
• Senior Jill Pulek (Chesire Conn.), junior Megan Antya (Somerset, Mass.), and sophomore Kaelani Gamble (Vancouver, Wash.), started the charge for JWU and never looked back. 
• Emmanuel's lone bright spot of the game also came in the first when junior Kiana Hinson (Whittie, Calif.) stole home on a wild pitch to muster the Saint's only run of the game. 
• The Wildcats poured on 14 more runs throughout the game and were able to end the contest in just 5 innings. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• JWU totaled 6 homers in the game and scored 17 runs, tying a season high. 
• Jill Pulek had two home runs herself and drove in 6, making her total 27 on the year.
• Kiana Hinson scored her 15th run of the season which is good for 5th best for the Saints this year.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• The Saints took an early lead in the first as Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) singles up the middle to score Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I.). Sophomore pitcher Tianna Dawe (Peabody, Mass.) then tripled to right center field scoring two followed by another single by Emily Blanchard (Sturbridge, Mass.) to score Dawe, 4-0.
• Neither team was able to get on the board again until Devin Scales (Mount Airy, Md.) of the Wildcats roped a ball over the fence to tally home two, cutting the lead in half 4-2.
• JWU got back in the lead in the fourth with a RBI single by Jessica Rynne (Boston, Mass.), sacrifice fly by Julia Huzi (Trumbull, Conn.), and a wild pitch, 5-4.
• Sophomore Jadynne Hill (Haverhill, Mass.) tied the game back up on a first pitch homerun and was followed by a triple by Lacroix and an RBI single by first-year Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.), to take back the lead 6-5.
• EC opened the game up with a four-run fifth inning as Conti collected two RBIs on a double down the left field line, an RBI single for Amsler, and an RBI single by Blanchard, and was able to close out the game with a score of 10-5.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Dawe recorded a full game and earned the win, improving to 8-2 on the year.
• Conti led the game with three RBIS while Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.), Amsler, Blanchard and Hill tallied on two apiece.  
• Livia Feole (Cranston, RI) recorded the loss to fall to 4-3 overall, allowing six runs on eleven hits over 4.0 innings of work.

OF NOTE

• Prior to the start of Game 2, the Emmanuel Athletic Department honored the four senior members of the EC Softball program. Congratulations to Ally O'Kula, Megan Long, Kaitlin Bouchard and Blanchard on their career with the Saints!

UP NEXT

• Both teams will be waiting to hear on the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball seeding and will be back in action on Tuesday, May 4^th in the first round of single elimination playoffs.