SAINTS SOFTBALL SWEEPS JWU FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2009

BOSTON, Mass.  – The Emmanuel College softball team completed a doubleheader sweep against Johnson & Wales for the first time since 2009, downing the Wildcats 3-2 and 9-8 on Sunday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. The Saints improve to 12-9 on the year and 4-2 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play while JWU falls to 14-5 overall and 2-2 in GNAC play.

GAME 1 – 3-2, EC

Junior right fielder Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI double to right centerfield to drive in junior Catherine Edmonds (Acton, Mass.) to lift the Saints to a 3-2 game one victory.

Junior pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) picked up the win going the distance for the Saints allowed two runs on five hits while striking out 12 to improve to 7-5 on the year.

The Saints threatened in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of singles up the middle by freshman catcher Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) and junior first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) but a strong defensive play by JWU junior centerfielder Diana Amendolara (Newtown, Pa.) erased a runner trying to score to keep the game at 0-0 through one.

EC grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the second to open the game's scoring. Walsh reached with the help of a JWU miscue and came around to score on a ground-rule double by senior shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.).

Emmanuel made it 2-0 with a run in the bottom of the third with back-to-back hits to open the inning. Freshman designated player Ashley Skey (Brookline, N.H.) crushed a ground rule double to deep center and came around to score on an RBI single to left by Kieselback.

JWU got the run back in the top of the fourth with a solo home run to right field by junior first baseman Emily Gorecki (Bremerton, Wa.) to cut the lead to 2-1.

The Wildcats tied the game with another long ball in the sixth as senior catcher Kristen Solari (Old Bridge, N.J.) blasted a shot to deep centerfield to even the score at 2-2.

Johnson & Wales sophomore pitcher Jennifer Corona (Middle Island, N.Y.) suffered the loss to fall to 8-2 on the year, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out three.

GAME 2 – 9-8, EC

With the game knotted at 8-8, Ashley Skey delivered a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Saints past Johnson & Wales, 9-8.

JWU took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the second inning. Gorecki opened the action with a triple down the right field line and came around to score on an RBI single up the middle by junior Emily Schaper (Pompton Lakes, N.J.).

The Wildcats added to their lead in the third with another run to make it 2-0. With runners at the corners, Gorecki delivered a clutch bloop single to left center to drive in the second Johnson & Wales run of the game. Emmanuel worked out of the jam to strand two on base to get out of the frame only trailing by the pair.

Emmanuel erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the third to take an 8-2 lead. Kieselback got the hit party started with an RBI single to left to drive in Davis to make it 2-1. Walsh drove in a pair with a two-RBI double to give the Saints a 3-2 before senior Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) recorded an RBI groundout to push the lead to 4-2. Freshman pitcher Olivia Burgos (Newington, Conn.) helped her own cause with an RBI double to right center to drive in Walsh and make it 5-2. Davis kept the inning alive with a two-RBI triple down the left field line to bump the lead to 7-2 and came around to score the eighth EC run on an RBI double by Sheehan to account for the eight run outburst.

Johnson & Wales got one run back in the top of the fourth with an RBI ground rule double to left centerfield by sophomore Alex Fantasia (Framingham, Mass.) to make it 8-3. They'd chase Burgos from the game in the fifth scoring two more runs to cut the lead to 8-5 before the Saints inserted Kilcoyne in relief to retire the side with a three run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.

The Wildcats tied the game at 8-8 with three unearned runs in the sixth.

Kilcoyne earned the win in relief to improve to 8-5 on the year. The junior tossed the final three innings allowing three runs (zero earned) on one hit while striking out four to give her 16 K's on the day.

Emmanuel returns to action on Wednesday, April 13 when they host Norwich University for another GNAC doubleheader scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM. Johnson & Wales is back on Tuesday, April 12 for a single game against Roger Williams University at 4:00 PM in Providence, R.I.