KILCOYNE & KIESELBACK POWER SOFTBALL INTO GNAC PLAYOFFS

BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) pitched a five-inning perfect game and freshman first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) belted two homers to lift the Emmanuel College softball team in a doubleheader sweep over Anna Maria College Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. The Saints captured game one, 8-0, followed by an 8-1 game two victory to improve to 17-20 on the year and 9-13 in GNAC play. The losses drop the AMCats to 3-31 and 1-21. With the victories, EC secured at least the No. 8 spot in next week's GNAC tournament for their first post-season appearance since 2004. They could potentially move up to the No. 7 spot depending on other results around the league.

GAME 1

Kilcoyne tossed a perfect game, retiring all 15 batters she faced to power EC to the 8-0 win in five. Kilcoyne recorded 10 strikeouts, no hits and no walks to lift the Saints to a pivotal win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Emmanuel threatened in the fourth, loading the bases without a hit, but Anna Maria junior pitcher Nichole Lowe (Saugus, Mass.) worked her way out of the jam as the Saints stranded the bases loaded to keep the score at 0-0.

EC sophomore outfield Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) recorded the game's first hit with a single to left to lead off the fifth. Senior catcher Julia Levins (Uxbridge, Mass.) followed it up with a bunt single before sophomore shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) loaded the bases with a single to left. A single through the left side by sophomore second baseman Kerianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) put Emmanuel on top, 1-0, and chased Lowe from the game.

Senior designated player Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) and freshman left fielder Samantha Adams (Sanford, Maine) welcomed the AMCats new pitcher with patient at bats, both drawing walks to make it 3-0. Freshman first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) delivered the big blow, connecting on a grand slam over the right centerfield fence to make it 7-0.

Senior third baseman Kayla Howard (Belmont, N.H.) kept the inning going with a single to left after a 10 pitch at-bat and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by freshman outfielder Cassey LePage (Somerset, Mass.). Following an error that moved Howard to third, Levins connected on an RBI single to right to end the game early with the 8-0 score through five, to give Kilcoyne the perfect game.

Lowe suffered the loss for Anna Maria, allowing four runs on four hits. Sophomore Angela Vousboukis (Swampscott, Mass.) finished the game, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits.

GAME 2

The AMCats wasted no time to record their first hits of the afternoon as freshman shortstop Kaitlyn Moran (Leicester, Mass.) and junior catcher Justine Lalonde (Shirley, N.Y.) collected singles to left in the first inning. Emmanuel was able to strand both runners and took advantage in the bottom of the frame to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Davis lead off with a single up the middle and came around to score on a sac fly from Garrity to make it 1-0. Adams reached with an infield single and scored to make it 2-0 on an RBI double by Kieselback.

Anna Maria cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the second. Lowe singled to left to open the inning and moved into scoring position following a sac bunt by freshman first baseman Ashley George (Leicester, Mass.). A single by sophomore second baseman Elizabeth Haggerty (Charlton, Mass.) put runners at the corners before the AMCats were able to successfully execute a double-steal to plate Lowe for their first run of the afternoon. EC was able to get out of the jam and strand Haggerty in scoring position to keep the score at 2-1.

In the third, Adams reached with a single and came around to score on a two-run bomb by Kieselback to bump the Emmanuel lead to 4-1.

Sophomore starting pitcher Val Keirs (West Warwick, R.I.) retired the AMCats in order in the fourth for her first one-two-three of the game, getting the Saints right back to the plate. EC added to its lead as Levins singles to lead off the inning and came around to score on an Anna Maria miscue to make it 5-1.

Emmanuel made it 7-1 with two more runs in the fifth on RBI's from Levins and Davis and added another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Kieselback to extend the lead to 8-1.

Adams worked the final two innings to preserve the win for Keirs who improves to 5-5 on the year.

The Saints will return to action on Tuesday when they play in the single round elimination game of the GNAC tournament against either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed on the road.

Prior to the start of the game, the Saints honored its three senior in Garrity, Howard and Levins with a brief ceremony to recognize their four years with the program.