Saints Softball Wins Home Opener vs. UMass Boston, 8-5

BOSTON – Following a 16-day layoff between games, Emmanuel Saints softball returned to action, claiming an 8-5 win in their home opener, against UMass Boston on Monday evening at Clemente Field. Emmanuel and UMass Boston opted to play a single game in lieu of the traditional doubleheader, after temperatures outside on Monday night dipped well below freezing.

The Saints were off and running from the start, scoring a run in the first and second innings, to take a 2-0 lead. After back-to-back walks put two on with two out in the first, junior Abigail Farr (Windsor Locks, Conn.) produced an RBI single to right. The next inning, a Beacons two-out error allowed Saints first-year Mia Fernandes (Taunton, Mass.) to score, giving Emmanuel a 2-0 lead.

The Beacons answered back in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 2-2, starting the inning with a triple for first-year Hayley Krockta (Taunton, Mass.). A few pitches later, Bethea would score via a wild pitch, cutting the deficit in half. Later in the inning, first-year Mya Perron (Beverly, Mass.) found herself on third with two outs as another Saints wild pitch resulted in a Beacons run, tying the game.

Emmanuel responded in the bottom of the inning, plating three runs to retake the lead. The three-run rally all came with two outs, starting with an RBI double by junior Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.). Now with Saints on second and third, a wild pitch made it 4-2 Emmanuel while a throwing error later in the inning scored Chelak, giving the Saints a 5-2 lead.

The Saints added much-needed insurance in the bottom of the sixth, posting another three-run inning to hold an 8-2 edge. With runners on second and third, senior Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) hit a deep shot to center, but a strong wind held the ball in play, resulting in a sacrifice fly. Another Beacons error helped lift the Saints to a 7-2 lead before senior Emma Crisafulli (Loudonville, N.Y.) knocked an RBI double into the right-center gap, boosting the advantage to 8-2.

The Beacons bounced back with three runs in the top of the seventh but the last of five strikeouts by junior Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) put two outs on the board. Marks would make the final play after a groundball back to her was flipped over to Crisafulli at first, ending the game in the Saints favor, 8-5.

Chelak and Fernandes each had a pair of hits in the victory and two runs scored each. Junior Sammy Hayes (Braintree, Mass.) drew three walks for the Saints and added a run scored. Marks pitched a complete game, allowing five runs, three earned while improving to 2-3 this season.

Krockta had the Beacons only extra base hit of the night, finishing 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Sophomores Sofie Richland (South Burlington, Vt.) and Lauren Miner (Millbury, Mass.) both finished 2-for-3 on the night.

Emmanuel moves to 4-6 this season with the win and returns to play on April 2, traveling to Framingham State for a doubleheader with the Rams, starting at 3:00 p.m. The Beacons drop to 12-2 and are back on March 28 for a doubleheader with Suffolk, starting at 2:30 p.m.