Softball Closes Regular-Season With Pair of 5-1 Wins at Anna Maria

THE BASICS

Score: 
Game 1: Emmanuel 5 – Anna Maria 1
Game 2: Emmanuel 5 – Anna Maria 1

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (22-16, 8-2 GNAC North)
Anna Maria College AMCats (10-27, 0-10 GNAC South)

Location: Paxton, Mass. – AMC Softball Field

Date: Friday, April 28, 2023

THE LEAD – Emmanuel College wrapped up the 2023 softball regular-season with a pair of 5-1 road wins over Anna Maria College on Friday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Divisional action at the Anna Maria Softball Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)

• The Saints got on the board in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead on a first and third situation where senior outfielder Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.) got caught in a rundown on an attempted steal to allow junior shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) to scamper home.
• EC extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth with a pair of unearned runs before adding two more on in the seventh to bump the lead to 5-0. Senior third Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) drove in the fourth Emmanuel run with a sac fly before sophomore catcher Samantha Hayes (Braintree, Mass.) belted an RBI double to plate the final run for the Saints.
• The AMCats avoided the shutout as Paige Stewart (Auburn, Mass.) collected a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh before EC senior Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) recorded a pair of strikeouts to retire the side preserving the 5-1 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GAME 1)

• Dawe notched the complete-game win, allowing the one run on five hits while striking out nine to improve to 11-14 on the year.
• Hayes finished the game going 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Pacheco and sophomore outfielder Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.) each scored two runs in the win.
• Sabrina Liston (Rehoboth, Mass.) and Ashley Garcia (Cornwall, N.Y.) each collected two hits in the loss for AMC.
• Liston suffered the loss in the circle to fall to 7-15 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)

• With the game knotted at 1-1 through three innings of action, the Saints used a pair of two-run homers to pull out their second 5-1 win of the day.
• Sophomore Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) delivered the go-ahead blast in the fourth with a two-run shot to center to make it 3-1.
• Chelak followed suit in the fifth with a two-run shot down the left field line to give the visitors the 5-1 cushion.
• On in relief of first year Madison Hinkley (Somers, Conn.) who worked the first three innings, Dawe was stellar over the final four frames. The senior allowed just one hit while striking out five to pick up her second win of the day.
• Hinkley opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second to give the Saints an early 1-0 lead before Anna Maria evened the score at 1-1 in the third on an RBI single down the left field line by Garcia.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GAME 2)

• Chelak and Marks both finished the game with two hits, a homer and two RBI. The long ball was Marks' first of the year and Chelak's third blast.
• Hinkley also added two hits to go along with a solid three innings of work in the circle in which she surrendered one run on seven hits, striking out two.
• Dawe improves to 12-14 on the year with the win and it marks the second time this seasons she's earned two wins in a doubleheader sweep, also accomplishing the feat back on March 21 vs. Emerson College.
• Junior Eden Forget (Worcester, Mass.) picked up a pair of hits for AMC and also suffered the defeat in the circle to drop to 3-12 on the campaign.

UP NEXT

• The Saints now wait to see how seeding shakes out in the GNAC North to determine who they'll play in the 2023 GNAC tournament.
• Anna Maria's campaign comes to a close with an overall record of 10-27.