SOFTBALL SWEEPS RIVIER IN GNAC TWINBILL, 3-0 & 12-4

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College softball team posted in second straight GNAC sweeps with a pair of victories over Rivier University on Monday evening at Roberto Clemente Field. Strong pitching lifted Emmanuel to a 3-0 win in game 1 followed by an offensive explosion in game 2 for a 12-4 win in five innings. With the wins, the Saints move to 9-3 overall and 4-0 in GNAC play for both the best overall and conference start in program history. The loss drops the Raiders to 5-9 and 0-6 in the GNAC.

Game 1

After three scoreless innings, Emmanuel got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead in the action. Freshman third basemen Abbey Alexiades (Kingston, Mass.) belted a single to the centerfield fence to start the action. She was relieved on the bases by sophomore Catherine Edmonds (Acton, Mass.) and Edmonds immediately swiped second base to move into scoring position. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Edmonds came around to score on an RBI single to center by sophomore first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) to account for the run.

Junior shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) made the Raiders pay with a two-run homers in the fifth to bump the Emmanuel lead to 3-0. With a runner on second and first base open, Rivier elected to pitch to the two-time All-Conference selection and Davis sent a 1-0 pitch over the right-centerfield fence, driving in junior Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) who reached with a single earlier in the frame.

EC sophomore pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) made it stand up with another dominant performance, allowing just one hit while recording 12 strikeouts in the complete game shutout victory. Kilcoyne improves to 5-1 on the year and currently leads the GNAC while ranking third in the nation averaging 12.38 K's per game.

The Raiders lone hit came from freshman catcher Hailey Reed (Nashua, N.H.) who ripped a single to left in the fourth inning and moved into scoring position following a Kilcoyne balk. With nothing going on at the plate for Rivier, the Raiders took a chance on the base paths and tried to steal third but EC freshman catcher Charlotte Powers (Peabody Mass.) shot her down to end the inning and the threat.

Rivier junior pitcher Taylor Miller (Haverhill, Mass.) suffered the loss tossing five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out three. Junior pitcher Jess Shanahan (Merrimack, N.H.) worked a perfect sixth frame in relief.

Game 2

A four-run third inning by Emmanuel broke a 4-4 tie en route to the Saints 12-4 win.  An RBI groundout by sophomore Kara Madden (Silver Spring, Md.) lifted the Saints on top for good to make it 5-4 in the third. Sophomore Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) delivered an RBI double to keep the inning alive before Halas kept the hit party going with an RBI single to make it 7-4. The final run of the inning plated following a Rivier miscue to account for the 8-4 score heading into the fourth.

Emmanuel scored two more in the fourth and an additional two runs in the fifth to walk off with the 12-4 win. Alexiades delivered the walk-off two-RBI single up the middle to increase the lead to eight runs, ending the action.

The Raiders scored all their runs in the top of the second inning on four hits. Reed walked to start the frame and after stealing second, scored on an RBI single by Kathryn Mostone (Pelham, N.H.) to make it a 2-1 game. Sophomore Destiny Jordan (Lawrence, Mass.) doubled to move Mostone to third before freshman Emily Knoops (Tewksbury, Mass.) tied the game with an RBI single to left driving in Mostone. Knoops moved into scoring position by stealing second and a two-RBI infield single by freshman Tori Dugan (Norwalk, Conn.) gave the Raiders their first lead of the evening at 4-2.

Emmanuel evened the score at 4-all with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second before the flood gates opened later in the game.

EC sophomore pitcher Samantha Adams (Sanford, Maine) earned the win in relief, tossing 3 and 2/3 innings of work, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out five.  Junior Jess Shanahan (Merrimack, N.H.) suffered the loss allowing eight runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out two.

Alexiades finished the evening with a team-best five hits while Davis finished with four.

The Saints return to action on Wednesday, April 1 when they host Simmons College at 6:30 PM for another GNAC doubleheader. Rivier returns on Thursday, April 2 when they host Suffolk University at 1:30 PM.