SOFTBALL STORMS BY NORWICH & SUFFOLK TO MOVE TO GNAC TOURNAMENT WINNER’S BRACKET
BOSTON, Mass. – The No. 5 Emmanuel College softball team stormed past No. 4 Norwich University, 5-0, and followed it up with a 9-7 win over No. 1 Suffolk University Friday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament action at Roche Playground field. With the wins, the Saints improve to 25-15 on the year and advance to the winner’s bracket of the GNAC tournament. The Cadets fall to 17-18 while the host Rams now stand at 31-8 overall.
BOSTON, Mass. – The No. 5 Emmanuel College softball team stormed past No. 4 Norwich University, 5-0, and followed it up with a 9-7 win over No. 1 Suffolk University Friday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament action at Roche Playground field. With the wins, the Saints improve to 25-15 on the year and advance to the winner's bracket of the GNAC tournament. The Cadets fall to 17-18 while the host Rams now stand at 31-8 overall.
GAME 1 vs. Norwich
Junior pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) hurled a complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits while scattering nine strikeouts to power the Saints to a 5-0 win over Norwich University. The complete-game shutout for Kilcoyne was her fifth of the season as she improves to 17-6 on the year and 13-1 overall against GNAC opponents.
Emmanuel got all the offense it would need in the top of the third inning, scoring all five runs on just two hits. Junior right fielder Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) reached on an infield single before senior second baseman Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) reached via a Norwich error. Senior shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) got the scoring started reaching on a fielder's choice, driving in Walsh to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. Vulpis would score to make it 2-0 on a passed ball strike three that allowed freshman Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) to reach base. Freshman designated player Ashley Skey (Brookline, N.H.) delivered the knockout punch with a three-run bomb to left, driving in Davis and Sheehan to give EC the 5-0 cushion.
Kilcoyne made it hold up, allowing just one hit over the final five innings of play to move the Saints into a second game against host Suffolk University.
Game 2 vs. Suffolk
Kilcoyne kept it going in the second game of the afternoon, getting the start against the No. 1 seeded Rams. Emmanuel got her an early 1-0 lead with an RBI single to centerfield by Davis in the second to make it a 1-0 game but Suffolk responded with a solo homer by catcher Delaney Sylvester to even the score at 1-1 through two innings.
It would remain a 1-1 game until the bottom of the third when Kilcoyne started to show signs of fatigue, surrendering a pair of walks and wild pitches which would lead to two Suffolk runs to give the Rams a 3-1 lead. Kilcoyne was able to retire the side but would be replaced by freshman pitcher Olivia Burgos (Newington, Conn.) to start the fourth.
EC stormed back in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs to regain the lead at 6-3. Junior first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) got the rally started by drawing a bases loaded walk to make it 3-2 before Burgos connected on the biggest hit of her rookie season. The rookie drive a 2-2 fastball over the left field fence for a grand slam to put the Saints out in front for good with the three run lead.
Suffolk fought to the finish and got two runs back immediately as Evelyn Marquis homered in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4 before Sylvester registered an RBI single to make it a one-run game at 6-5.
The Saints got the runs back in the sixth as both Skey and Kieselback delivered RBI singles to give EC an 8-5 cushion. Vulpis would add an insurance run in the seventh with her fourth career home run to give Emmanuel a 9-5 lead heading into the final frame.
The Rams did not go away quietly, chasing Burgos from the game by scoring two run to make it 9-7 before freshman Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) came in to close out the game with the last two outs to earn her third save of the year. Burgos notches the win in relief to move to 3-6 on the season while Suffolk relief pitcher Taylor Holmes suffered just her second loss of the season, falling to 11-2 overall.
With the two wins, the Saints move into the GNAC tournament winner's bracket and will now face the winner of the No. 2 University of Saint Joseph's (CT) vs. No. 3 Johnson & Wales game which was halted today due to rain. JWU currently leads the Blue Jays, 2-1 in the 4th inning and the game will be resumed tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM in Boston, Mass. at Roberto Clemente Field. The loser of this game will take on Norwich University immediately after at Clemente Field in an elimination game.