STRONG PITCHING POWERS SOFTBALL PAST NEWBURY, 4-2

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Emmanuel College softball team used a strong pitching performance to power past Newbury College, 4-2, Monday morning in Day 2 action of the National Training Center games in Clermont, Fla. The Saints allowed only four hits and improve to 2-1 on the year while the loss drops the Nighthawks to 1-2 overall.

EC struck first with an unearned run in the top of the first inning to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Senior second baseman Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.J.) was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and scored on an errant Newbury throw.

The Nighthawks threatened to get the run right back as senior shortstop Alyssa Donovan (West Haven, Conn.) tripled down the right field line in the bottom half of the frame but the Saints stranded her at third to maintain the 1-0 lead.

Newbury threatened again in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out but the Saints were able to work their way out of the jam. Junior pitcher Samantha Adams (Sanford, Maine) induced a groundball comebacker that she went home with for the force out and sophomore catcher Charlotte Powers (Peabody, Mass.) turned the double play with a strike to first to end the inning and threat.

The Nighthawks returned the favor in the top of the fourth, erasing a one-out bases loaded threat by the Saints. Newbury freshman pitcher Alina Milauskas (Elkridge, Md.) induced a ground out and flyout to escape the inning unharmed with the score still at 1-0 in favor of Emmanuel.

Emmanuel added two insurance runs in the top of the fifth without a hit to bump the lead to 3-0. Vulpis opened the inning with a walk and junior designated player Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) later walked to put two on with two out. EC pinch runner Catherine Edmonds (Acton, Mass.) stole second to put both runners in scoring position. A wild pitch combined with an errant throw allowed for both runners to score on the same play, giving the Saints some wiggle room.

The insurance runs would prove important as the Nighthawks again loaded the bases in the sixth and cracked the scoring column to make it a 3-1 contest. Junior Lindsey Clark (Venice, Fla.) got things started with a single and would come around to score Newbury's first run on a sac fly with the bags juiced by Milauskas. Emmanuel got out of the inning allowed just the one run to take a two-run cushion into the final frame.

EC tacked on its final run in the seventh on a sac fly by freshman pitcher Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.), plating pinch runner Elyse Moretti (Cranston, R.I.) to account for a 4-1 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, M. Kieselback retired the side allowing an unearned run to notch her first collegiate save. Adams earned the win to move to 1-0 on the year while Milauskas suffered the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season.

Junior outfielder Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) paced the Saints offense with a three-hit outing.

The Saints return to action against WPI later this afternoon in more Day 2 action of the NTC Spring Games while the Nighthawks are back on the diamond on Wednesday, March 9 vs. New England College at 11:00 AM.