Softball Tops Anna Maria in GNAC Playoff Action, 6-1

BOSTON, Mass. – Top-seeded Emmanuel College took care of business Tuesday evening in the opening round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference softball tournament, downing No. 8 Anna Maria College, 6-1, under the lights at Roberto Clemente Field.  

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel College, 6; Anna Maria College, 1
Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (17-4, 9-1 GNAC)
Anna Maria College AMCats (4-21, 1-15 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2021

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Emmanuel grabbed an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single to centerfield by sophomore third baseman Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) to plate first year shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.).
• Both pitchers were on early as EC senior Megan Long (Greenville, R.I.) and Anna Maria junior Sabrina Liston (Rehoboth, Mass.) traded scoreless innings of work through the fourth to keep the score at 1-0, Saints.
• In the fifth, sophomore centerfielder Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and came around to score on an RBI double down the left field line by junior right fielder Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I.) to make it 2-0. Lacroix eventually came around to score with the help of an AMCats throwing error to bump the lead to 3-0 through five.
• Anna Maria threated in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs. Senior Haley Shaw (Salem, N.H.) reached on an error to open the frame and came around to score the AMCats only run of the action later in the inning on an RBI groundout by Saylor Costa (East Providence, R.I.) to make it 3-1. Long was able to limit the damage to the one unearned run, stranding runners at the corners with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
• The Saints added three insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth with Pacheco delivering the knockout blow with a 2-RBI triple to right centerfield, moving the score to 5-1. Sophomore Jadynne Hill (Haverhill, Mass.) plated Pacheco with an infield single to account for the final Emmanuel run of the action.
• Long worked around a pair of hits in the seventh to hold on for the 6-1 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Long earned her GNAC-leading ninth win of the year to move to 9-2 on the year, allowing one run (zero earned) on four hits while striking out 11.
• Pacheco finished the game going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored while junior catcher Avery Webb (Hollis, N.H.) chipped in with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate.
• Anna Maria centerfielder Shay Savoie (Namao, Alberta) went 2-for-4 and until the final inning was the only AMCat to collect a hit off of Long.

UP NEXT

• The Saints return to action on Thursday, May 6 when they host No. 4 seeded Albertus Magnus College at 6:30 PM. The Falcons topped No. 5 Rivier University by a 6-1 score in their opening round action earlier today.