SOFTBALL SHUTS OUT FRAMINGHAM IN NON-CONFERENCE DOUBLE-HEADER

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Softball Team cruised to a pair of shutout wins over Framingham State University, defeating the Rams 5-0 and 7-0 under the lights at Roberto Clemente Field on Tuesday night.  The non-conference double-header had been postponed last week and the two wins boost the Saints to 9-10 on the season, while the losses drop Framingham to 4-10 overall.

Game 1:

Emmanuel scored all five of its runs in the second inning en route to the 5-0 win.  Both squads notched a hit early on, but stranded both base runners.  Freshman 1st Baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) walked to open the bottom of the second, which got things rolling for the Saints.  Classmate Kara Madden (Silver Spring, Md.) knocked an RBI single up the middle, which scored Kieselback, to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.  Sophomore pitcher Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.)  singled and moved Madden to third, before stealing second base herself.  Senior catcher Julia Levins (Uxbridge, Mass.) roped a ball into left field, which was mishandled and Madden and Kiers crossed the plate to put EC up, 3-0.  Sophomore shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) hit a sacrifice fly to center and Levins tagged and scored for a 4-0 Saints' lead.  Sophomore 2nd baseman Kerianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) stepped to the plate and smashed a triple into deep centerfield.  A second Rams' outfield error scored Vulpis and the hosts held a 5-0 lead after two.

Freshmen Tiffanie Marsh (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Danielle Belliveau (Lakeville, Mass.) each hit singles for FSU in the top of the fourth, but the Rams left both runners stranded.  Sophomores Taylor McGrail (Worcester, Mass.) and Helen Falzone (Ashland, Mass.) notched hits in the top of the seventh, but again the visitors left their runners hanging and the Saints pulled out the 5-0 win.

Kiers went the distance in the circle for the Saints, recording her fourth win of the season and improving to 4-3 on the year.  The sophomore struck out three and gave up six hits in the shutout win.

Senior Alyssa Begin (Salem, Mass.) took the loss for the Rams, giving up the five runs (one earned) in the second inning.  Begin pitched two innings, striking out one and walking one.  Sophomore Alex Ferri (Winthrop, Mass.) threw four innings, striking out one, walking one and giving up one hit.

Game 2:

Rookie hurler Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) led the Saints to the 7-0 win in the nightcap.  Kilcoyne was solid in the circle all night, fanning a season-high 15 batters, as she picked up the 4th win of her freshman season.  Kilcoyne gave up just four hits and walked one batter in the shutout victory.  She also added a two RBI double to her solid stat line on the night.

Davis, Levins and Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) all tallied two hits apiece to pace the Emmanuel offense.

A lead-off walk got things going for the Saints again in game two.  Freshman Samantha Adams (Sanford, Me.) singled to drive in Davis and EC took a 1-0 lead after one.  The second inning proved big again in game two.  Levins ripped an RBI triple, which scored Walsh.  Davis' single drove in Levins and Emmanuel led 3-0 after two.

Kilcoyne struck out the side in the third, giving way to two hit, one run effort by the Saints in the bottom of the inning.  A double by Adams, drove in Vulpis, who had reached on a single to center and Emmanuel held a 4-0 lead.

Kilcoyne's double in the fourth scored Levins and Walsh, while Vulpis crossed the plate on the throw from the outfield, putting the hosts out in front, 7-0.  The rookie pitcher sat the side down swinging again in the top of the fifth and gave up just one hit to Marsh in the sixth.  The Rams got a late triple from Marissa Flynn (Marlborough, Mass.) in the top of the seventh, but Kilcoyne fanned all three batters to lead the Saints to the 7-0 win.

Emmanuel will return to action this Friday, when the Saints travel to West Hartford, Connecticut for a 3:00 PM Great Northeast Athletic Conference double-header at the University of Saint Joseph. The Rams will play at UMass Dartmouth tomorrow in a non-conference double header.