SAINTS SOFTBALL SWEEPS SAINT JOSEPH’S ON SENIOR DAY

BOSTON, Mass.  – Two strong pitching performances propelled the Emmanuel College softball team to a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep over visiting Saint Joseph's College (ME) on Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. The Saints notched a 1-0 win in game one before taking game two, 2-1, sweeping the Monks for the first time in program-history. EC improves to 18-13 overall while SJM falls to 17-14 and both teams now stand at 10-6 in GNAC play.

GAME 1

Senior left fielder Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) delivered a walk-off RBI single to lift Emmanuel to a 1-0 victory in the first game of the afternoon.

Both starting pitchers were in control throughout the contest with no-hitters through the first three innings. Emmanuel junior Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) surrender her only hit of the afternoon in the top of the fourth, allowing a double to left by sophomore second baseman Kelsy Gaddy (Limington, Maine) but the Kilcoyne silenced the Monks the rest of the action.

Saint Joseph's freshman Kylie McFadden (Dover, N.H.) was just as good through six innings, allowing no runs and just three hits before Halas and the Saints came to life in the final frame.

EC junior first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) led off the seventh with a single to right and moved into scoring position on a single down the left field line by rookie centerfield Olivia Burgos (Newington, Conn.). Halas delivered the game-winning RBI single to right on a perfectly executed fake bunt. The senior showed bunt and drew the Monks defense to shift before pulling back and shooting a single through the right side of the infield. Kieselback came around to score the game-winning run from second to give Emmanuel the 1-0 win.

Kilcoyne improves to 12-6 on the year, tossing her third complete-game shutout, recording seven strikeouts along the way. McFadden falls to 7-4 on the year despite allowing just the one run on six hits.

GAME 2

Emmanuel threatened to jump out to an early lead in the second inning but stranded two runners in scoring position to keep the action scoreless through two. Kieselback singled before junior right fielder Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) belted a ground rule double to left. It appeared that Kieselback would have been able to score easily on the double but the ball cleared the left field fence on the hop to put two runners in scoring position for the Saints. Saint Joseph's freshman pitcher Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) worked out of the jam to retire the side and keep the game at 0-0.

Freshman catcher Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) drove in the game's first run with an RBI single to left in the third to put Emmanuel on top, 1-0. Senior second baseman Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) led off the inning with a single to left and moved into scoring position by stealing second base. Sheehan knocked in her seventh RBI of the year to give EC the one-run cushion.

The Monks picked up their first hit of the afternoon in the fourth as junior catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) connected on a single up the middle to break up a no-hit bid by Burgos, the Emmanuel game-two starting pitcher.

Saint Joseph's tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth on and RBI single by Murphy. Rookie shortstop Meghan Elliott (Blackstone, Mass.) opened the frame with a single and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by junior shortstop Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine). Murphy delivered the clutch hit, driving an outside pitch to the opposite field to even the score at 1-1.

Burgos helped her own cause and broke the tie in the bottom half of the inning to bump EC ahead 2-1. Freshman designated player Ashley Skey (Brookline, N.H.) led off the inning with an infield single and Halas entered to run for her, stealing second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Smith retired the next two Saints before Burgos picked up the clutch two-out RBI single up the middle, plating Halas to give the Saints the 2-1 lead.

Burgos made the lead stand up, retiring the side in the seventh to preserve the 2-1 win. She improves to 2-4 on the year while the loss drops Smith to 7-5.

Prior to the start of the doubleheader, the Emmanuel Athletic Department recognized the four seniors on the 2016 roster. Halas, Vulpis, Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) were all honored in a brief senior day ceremony.

The Saints return to action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Newton, Mass. to take on Lasell College in another GNAC twinbill scheduled for a 12:00 PM start. The Monks are also back tomorrow afternoon when they play Suffolk University at 12:00 PM in Boston.