SAINTS WALK OFF WITH GNAC SWEEP OVER SIMMONS

BOSTON, Mass. –  Sophomore designated player Ashley Skey (Brookline, N.H.) and sophomore catcher Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) hit walk-off home runs to power the Emmanuel College softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Simmons College in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action Sunday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. Skey blasted a three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift EC to a 6-4 win in game one while Sheehan knocked a two-run bomb in the bottom of the seventh in game two to power the Saints to an 8-6 victory. The wins move Emmanuel to 5-9 overall and 2-0 in GNAC play while the losses drop the Sharks to 4-9 and 0-2.

GAME 1: 6-4, Emmanuel

EC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an unearned run before the Sharks tied the score in the fourth on an RBI single by sophomore Michaela Reeves (Reading, Mass.). The Saints answered with two in the bottom half of the frame to regain the lead at 3-1 as seniors Kara Madden (Silver Spring, Md.) and Brenna Gilmore (San Carlos, Calif.) drove in RBI singles.

The score stay at 3-1 heading into the seventh when Simmons rallied for three runs to take a 4-3 lead. Two of the three runs plated due to a costly Emmanuel miscue that would have ended the game but the inning extended and the visitors came out of it with the one-run lead.

In the bottom of half of the inning, the first two runners reached base before Skey belted her team-leading fourth home run of the year to help the Saints walk-off with the 6-4 win and ended the game with four RBI.

Sophomore Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) went the distance to earn the win for Emmanuel allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out five to improve to 2-3 on the year. Simmons junior Juliet Nelson (Cumberland, R.I.) suffered the loss in relief and falls to 4-3 overall in the circle.

GAME 2: 8-6, Emmanuel

The Saints had chances early to blow the game open by loading the bases in both the first and second inning but only managed to get one run in each frame while the Sharks were able to strand the bases loaded in back-to-back innings and limit the damage. Simmons plated a run in the top of the second to keep pace and trailed 2-1 heading into the fourth inning. In the fourth, EC scored three runs fueled by a two-run blast from rookie shortstop Sydney Rogers (Southwick, Mass.) for her first collegiate home run to make it 4-1. Senior first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) walked in a run later in the inning to bump the lead to 5-1.

Simmons exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth inning to a 6-5 lead. Nelson delivered a two-RBI single while during the rally that saw the Sharks bat around in the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Rogers wasted no time to deliver her second career home run connecting on a solo shot to tie the score at 6-6.

EC senior pitcher Jill Kilcoyne made quick work of the Sharks in the sixth and seventh innings, retiring them in order to keep the score tied at 6-6 to set the stage for Sheehan. In the bottom of the seventh, Rogers opened the inning with an infield single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Sheehan would do the rest, driving her third home run of the season over the centerfield fence to give EC the 8-6 walk-off win.

Kilcoyne improves to 2-4 on the year scattering seven hits over seven innings while striking out nine in the win. On in relief, Reeves suffers her second loss of the season and falls to 0-2 overall.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Emmanuel is idle until next Saturday, April 8 when they head to Mount Ida College for a GNAC twinbill. Simmons returns to action tomorrow night when it plays host to Lasell College at 6:00 PM at Daly Field.