Softball Drops Two in The Spring Games Finale vs. Husson & Swarthmore

THE BASICS 

Score:             
Husson University, 2; Emmanuel College, 0
Swarthmore College, 7; Emmanuel College, 2
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (1-6, 0- GNAC)
Husson University Eagles (5-4, 0-0 NAC)
Swarthmore College Garnet (5-2, 0-0 CC)
Location:         
Clermont, Fla. – Legends Way Complex
Date:               
Friday, March 11, 2022

THE LEAD:  The Emmanuel College softball team fell to Husson University and Swarthmore College in the final day of The Spring Games Friday morning down in Clermont, Fla. EC dropped a 2-0 decision to Husson in a pitcher's duel before falling in the spring break finale to Swarthmore, 7-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1 vs. Husson)

• Junior pitcher McKenna Smith (Old Town, Maine) tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering just two hits to go along with 12 K's over seven innings of work to power the Eagles past EC< 2-0.
• Husson got on the board in the fourth on an RBI double to left center by sophomore Kenzie Dore (Holden, Maine) to drive in senior Meagan Gosselin (Lewiston, Maine) to make it 1-0. Goesslin opened the inning with an infield single, advanced to second and third on back-to-back groundouts to short before plating the game's first run on Dore's drive to the fence.
• Smith made it hold up with dominant work in the middle innings, striking out seven straight during a stretch from the third inning through the fifth.
• The Eagles added an unearned insurance run in the seventh as Dore led off the frame with her third hit of the game and came around to score on the Saints lone error of the contest to account for the 2-0 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 1)

• Smith improves to 4-2 on the Florida trip and through 44+ innings of work has already compiled 67 K's while posting a gaudy 1.10 ERA.
• EC junior Tianna Dawe (Peabody, Mass.) suffered the loss in her strongest outing of the spring season, going seven innings allowing the two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out five to fall to 0-4 on the year.
• Emmanuel senior Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I.) collected both of EC's hits on a pair of singles in the first and sixth inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2 vs. Swarthmore)

• Swarthmore broke open a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth batting around to score six runs on eight hits, all singles, to pull ahead 7-2 for the win after a tight affair through five.
• Emmanuel plated its first runs of the day to briefly take a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth as Lacroix reached via a bunt single followed by a single to left by sophomore shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.). Both players came around to score including Conti on the go-ahead run at the time on a safety squeeze by first year Sammy Hayes (Braintree, Mass.) to take the 2-1 lead.
• The Garnet opened the scoring in the first with the help of an unearned run to go ahead 1-0 and it remained that way until the sixth inning as both starting pitchers were in control in the circle.
• SC junior pitcher Meg Ozawa (Scarsdale, N.Y.) was in control not allowing a hit until Lacroix's bunt single in the sixth and finished the game allowing just the two hits and two unearned runs to improve to 3-1 on the year, striking out 11.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 2)

• The top six hitters in the Garnet lineup tallied a total of 11 hits in the win including a 3-for-4 outing by senior Gwen Glatz (Exeter, Pa.) out of the leadoff spot.
• Along with the RBI sacrifice, Hayes drew a walk to reach base in her first collegiate start for EC.
• EC first year pitcher Brenna Whittaker (Cranston, R.I.) threw well but suffered the loss going 5+ innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits before being relieved. She falls to 1-2 on the year.

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel is now idle until Tuesday, March 22 when they travel across the city to take on Emerson College at Rotch Playground with a start time of the doubleheader still to be determined.