HOT BATS LIFT SAINTS PAST CURRY SOFTBALL, 7-4

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The Emmanuel College softball team used five early runs to propel them to a 7-4 victory over Curry College Monday afternoon in spring break action at the Gene Cusic Softball Classic. The Saints improve to 2-0, marking the first time the program has swept its opening day games on a spring break trip. The loss drops the Colonels to 0-2.

Curry struck first with a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.) knocked in an RBI single with two outs to left and the squad looked for more, loading the bases, before EC sophomore pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) ended the threat by striking out the side.

EC used the moment to jump ahead for good in the bottom half of the frame, plating a pair on four hits. Junior shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) led off with a single and got into scoring position following a double by junior second basemen Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.). Freshman third baseman Abbey Alexiades (Kingston, Mass.) followed them up with a bases clearing double to left center to put the Saints on top 2-1.

Emmanuel made it 5-1 with three more runs in the second, with familiar faces doing the damage. A two-RBI double by Vulpis made it 4-1 and Alexiades singled off the third base bag to drive in a Vulpis who scored on a heads up base running play from second, accounting for the 5-1 score.

Curry immediately got two runs back in the top of the third, taking advantage of some control issues from Kilcoyne who hit two batters while walking another in the frame. With the bases loaded, sophomore Kelly Duggan (Norwood, Mass.) took a fastball in the arm to drive in the second run of the afternoon for the Colonels to make it 5-2 before senior catcher Allie Carver (Marlborough, Mass.) singled to center to make it 5-3.

The Saints added an unearned run in the fourth to increase the lead to 6-3 before adding another insurance run in the fifth as sophomore outfielder Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) came around to score on a wild pitch, bumping the lead to 7-3.

In the final frame, the Colonels collected a pair of hits from freshman Jessica Saluti (Braintree, Mass.) and freshman Morgan Haaland (Fairhaven, Mass.) with Saluti scoring on an Emmanuel error but it was not enough as EC junior pitcher Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) closed the door in relief to preserve the 7-4 victory.

Davis, Vulpis and Alexiades combined to go 7-11 out on the top three spots in the order, driving in and scoring five runs in the win.

Junior Amy Nolan (Norfolk, Mass.) had two hits for Curry.

Kilcoyne picked up the win to improve to 1-0 on the year, striking out 12 while allowing five hits and three runs over five innings of work. Freshman pitcher Jordan Lizotte (Rehoboth, Mass) suffered her first collegiate defeat, surrendering seven runs on 10 hits over four innings of work, striking out four. In relief, freshman Rebecca Black (East Greenwich, R.I.) tossed two scoreless innings for the Colonels.

Both teams return to action later this week in more spring break action at the Gene Cusic Spring Classic.