SAINTS MARCH PAST GATORS FOR DOUBLE-HEADER SWEEP

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. –  Emmanuel College took both games of an NCAA Softball doubleheader, by scores of 9-0 and 14-1, over host Pine Manor College on Saturday afternoon at Pine Manor Field. With the pair of victories the Saints improve to 7-11 overall (2-4 GNAC) while the Gators drop to 0-4 early in the season.

The Saints jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning of game one, when starting pitcher Kelly Lloid (Issaquah, Wash.) put down a perfectly placed bunt single to bring Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.), who led off the inning with a single to right, around to score.

The Saints struck again in the top half of the second inning. With one away, Kerianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) reached first on a one–out bunt single.  Vulpis then stole second to put herself in scoring position. Jenna Marcello (Hopedale, Mass.) followed with a double to the left-centerfield gap to give Emmanuel a 2-0 lead.

Lloid retired the Gators in order in the second and third inning, as the Emmanuel starter would cruise all the way to the fifth inning before surrendering a hit to improve her record to 4-4 on the season with a one hit, ten strikeout performance. Lloid also helped her own cause at the plate, going 3-for-5 while driving in three runs out of the third spot in the lineup.

Lloid and the top of the Emmanuel order did the damage for the Saints in game one as the leadoff hitter Davis finished with four hits and a pair of RBIs, while the number two hitter Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) drove in three on two hits.

Davis singled to help the Saints manufacture another run in the fourth inning before Emmanuel scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a commanding 9-0 victory.

Pine Manor leftfielder Samantha Jones (Springfield, Mass.) recorded the lone Gator hit in game one when she line a ball back up the middle with one out in the fifth inning. Pine Manor starter Tia Nelson (Rockport, Mass.) dropped to 0-3 on the season, striking out five batters while pitching all seven innings.

In game two, Emmanuel tagged Pine Manor starter Macayla Kirylo (Pawtucket, R.I.) for five runs in the game's first two innings. The big blow come in the top of the second when Marcello hit a two-run homer over the left field wall to make the Emmanuel lead 5-0. Nelson came on in relief in the second inning of game two, scattering five hits and one run over five innings as Emmanuel took a 6-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the home half of the sixth inning of game two, Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, N.J.) reached base via a one out bunt single to give PMC its first base runner since the fourth inning when Nelson roped a single into left field. Nelson finished game two 2-for-3 at the plate.

Lynch and Chardonai Rose (Fairfield, Calif.) then traded places on the base paths by virtue of a fielder's choice before Rose made her way to second on a wild pitch. With Rose in scoring position, Kirylo sent a single to centerfield to give PMC its first run of the day. However, the Pine Manor rally would end one batter later when Nelson grounded out to third.

In the bottom half of the inning, Emmanuel would break open game, scoring eight runs on six hits and three Pine Manor errors to take the 14-1 victory. Lloid once again did the damage for the Saints, driving in two of her three game two RBIs in the seventh inning. Lloid also finished game two 3-for-5 to finish 6-for-10 on the day. Davis tacked on two more hits in game two to also finish the day 6-for-10.

Emmanuel's game two starter, Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) drove in three runs on three hits, while going the distance in the circle, striking out six, to improve her record to 3-5 on the season. PMC starter Macayla Kirylo drops to 0-1 on the season.

Emmanuel take on Norwich University on Monday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference double-header.  The games are slated to begin at 6:30 PM at Roberto Clemente Field. The Gators will back in action on Wednesday afternoon when they host the Daniel Webster College Eagles for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 PM.

Release courtesy of Pine Manor College Sports Information