Softball Sweeps Emerson in 2023 Home-Opener, 7-2 & 7-6

THE BASICS 
Score:
G1 – Emmanuel College, 7 vs. Emerson College, 2
G2 – Emmanuel College, 7 vs. Emerson College, 6 (8 innings)

Records: 
Emmanuel Saints (6-6, 0-0 GNAC)
Emerson Lions (6-4, 0-0 NEWMAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field

Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023

THE LEAD – The Emmanuel College softball team posted a pair of non-conference wins Tuesday evening over intercity foe Emerson College, 7-2 & 7-6 (8 inn.), in their 2023 home-opener. The Saints cruised in Game 1 building a seven-run lead before walking off with the Game 2 win with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to move to 6-6 on the year. Emerson drops to 6-4 following the pair of setbacks.

HOW IT HAPPENED (G1)

• Emmanuel opened the scoring in the third as senior outfielder Lylah Niederberger (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) hit a solo moonshot to centerfield to make it 1-0 before senior infielder Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) drove in the second run later in the frame on a sac fly to move the lead to 2-0.
• The Saints got what would prove to be the game-winning run in the fifth as senior outfielder Julyanne Pachecho (Somerset, Mass.) singled up the middle to drive in Niederberger, making it a 3-0 game heading into the late stages of the action.
• The hosts opened things up with a four-run sixth, almost ending it early due to the run rule but stranding the winning runner in scoring position. Niederberger stayed hot with her third hit of the contest with a two-RBI single down the left field line to bump the score to 5-0 and then Pacheco drove in the sixth run with a sac fly while the seventh run also scored on the play due to an Emerson fielding error to account for a 7-0 score.
• The Lions got two back in the seventh on an RBI single from Mackenzie Rice (Severna Park, Md.) and an RBI groundout by Carly Rosenberger (Conshohocken, Pa.) but EC senior hurler Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) retired the side to finish off the 7-2 complete-game victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (G1)

• Niederberger finished the night going 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and three runs scored.
• Sophomore infielder Amanda Penney (Warwick, R.I.) was the only other Saint to post a multi-hit game going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks in the win.
• Dawe went the distance, allowing the two runs on six hits while striking out three to move to 2-6 on the year in the circle.
• Rice also enjoyed a 3-for-3 night in the defeat out of the nine-hole with the RBI.
• Sophomore Jessica Gomez went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lions but suffered the loss going 6.0 innings and surrendering the seven runs (six earned) despite striking out nine to fall to 4-1 on the year.

HOW IT HAPPENED (G2)

• With the score tied at 2-2 heading into the seventh inning, the Lions pushed across three runs to chase EC starting pitcher Mackenzie Briggs (West Warwick, R.I.) from the game after throwing well through six+ innings. First year pitcher Kit Zenga (Northridge, Calif.) helped her own caused with a bases clearing two-out double down the left field line to plate three and give the visitors a brief 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. Dawe came on in relief to keep it a three-run game and get out of the jam.
• EC went to work to force extras in the bottom of the seventh getting a pair back on a clutch two-run blast by junior shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) to cut the deficit to 5-4. Later in the inning, Penney evened the score at 5-5 with an RBI single up the middle to send the game into extras.
• In the top of the eighth, the Lions plated the international tie breaker ghost runner on a sacrifice fly to right by sophomore Jessica Gomez (West Chester, Pa.) to take a 6-5 lead but the Saints were able to limit the damage at one.
• Emmanuel wasted no time to tie the score as Niederberger moved from second to third on a wild pitch and came in to score the Saints' sixth run of the night on a sac fly to right by Dawe to make it 6-6. Sophomore Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) delivered a clutch pinch hit single to keep the inning alive, moving into scoring position on a single up the middle from first year third baseman Christyna Winstead (Uncasville, Conn.). First year Madison Hinkley (Somers, Conn.) came on to pinch run for Marks and came around to score the game-winning run on a ground-rule double down the left field line by Conti to walk the Saints off with the 7-6 win.
• Emerson took a 2-0 lead in the action in the third as junior infielder Makenzie Killough (Attleboro, Mass.) connected on a two-run homer to dead centerfield.
• The Saints got one back in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout from sophomore outfielder Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.) before tying the score in the sixth on an RBI single up the middle from Amsler to set the stage for the late inning fireworks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (G2)

• Conti finished the game going 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored for her first three-hit game of the season.
• Winstead also collected three hits going 3-for-4 as the Saints eight & nine hitters combined to go 6-for-7 with three runs scored and three RBI in the victory.
• Junior Emma Crisafulli (Loudonville, N.Y.) delivered two hits in a spot start including a double.
• Zenga, junior Claire Overton (Wayne, Pa.) and sophomore Sam Zannotti (Dudley, Mass.) all registered two hits each for the Lions.
• Dawe notched her second win of the day, working the final inning and a third to improve to 3-6 on the year. Briggs recorded eight strikeouts over the first 6 2/3 innings of action in the no-decision.
• Emerson relief pitcher Victoria Gage (Old Lyme, Conn.) suffered the loss allowing the two runs in the eighth inning to fall to 0-2 on the year.

UP NEXT

• The Saints now head to UMass Boston for another non-conference twinbill this Friday, March 24 beginning at 3:00 PM.
• Emerson also returns to the diamond on Friday, taking on another Boston-based program in Suffolk University at 3:30 and 5:30 PM in East Boston, Mass.