SAINTS BATS EXPLODE FOR 20 RUNS IN SWEEP OVER UMB

THE BASICS 

Scores:    University of Massachusetts Boston, 3; Emmanuel College, 9
               University of Massachusetts Boston, 8; Emmanuel College, 11
Records:  Emmanuel College Saints (10-11)
               UMass Boston Beacons (8-14)
Location:  Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date:       Tuesday, April 10, 2018

THE LEAD: The Emmanuel College softball team exploded for 20 runs on 25 hits in a non-conference doubleheader sweep over the University of Massachusetts Boston Tuesday evening at Roberto Clemente Field. The Saints took game 1, 9-3, before rallying from an early six-run deficit in game 2 for an 11-8 victory. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

GM 1

• The Saints opened the action with an early 2-0 lead behind RBI singles in the first inning by junior Ashley Skey (Brookline, N.H.) and Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.).
• The Beacons briefly tied the action at 2-2 with a pair in the third as sophomore Ari Bilotta (Leominster, Mass.) got them on the board with an RBI ground rule double to right to make it 2-1 before coming around to score on a wild pitch to even the score at 2-all in the third.
• The tie didn't last long as Emmanuel answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good. Sophomore designated player Kerry Sendrick (Medway, Mass.) collected the go-away RBI single to make it 3-2 before EC added an unearned run to bump the lead to 4-2.
• Following a scoreless fourth, UMB cut the lead to one as junior catcher Roxanne Vento (Arlington, Mass.) drove in the third Beacons' run with an RBI single up the middle to make it 4-3.
• Emmanuel put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth plating four runs as freshman Megan Long (Greenville, R.I.) hit an RBI double before sophomore right fielder Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (South Boston, Mass.) belted her second home run of the season, a three run shot, to make it 8-3.
• EC tacked on its final run in the sixth on another RBI single from Skey to account for the 9-3 final.
• Junior Olivia Burgos (Newington, Conn.) earned the win in relief, tossing the final four innings to improve to 4-3 on the year.

GM 2

• UMass Boston turned the tables early in game two, racing out to a 6-0 lead with two runs in the first and four runs in the second.
• Emmanuel answered, plating six runs in the bottom half of the second to reset the score at 6-6 heading into the third.
• The Saints stayed hot, scoring twice in the bottom of the third to go ahead for good on an RBI single by Ramirez-Tejeda followed by an unearned run to make it 8-6.
• Emmanuel plated three insurance runs in the fifth to take a comfortable 11-6 cushion into the later frames.
• The insurance runs proved to be important as UMB freshman Tori Dicenso (Lynn, Mass.) lifted a three run homer to right field to cut the lead to 11-8 but the rally ended there as Burgos once again closed the door for the Saints, earning her second win of the night tossing five innings of work to improve to 5-3 in the circle.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Skey finished the night with five hits, going 4-for-4 in game one.
• Burgos picked up both wins for the Saints in the doubleheader, the first time an Emmanuel pitcher has accomplished the feat this season and the first since Jill Killcoyne '17 won two games in the circle on April 15, 2017 vs. Lasell.
• Bilotta paced the Beacons with five hits on the night, going 3-for-3 in the opening affair
• Freshman pitcher Drew Washington (Bordentown, N.J.) suffered the game 1 loss for UMB falling to 1-4 on the year while sophomore Megan Hoben (Bedford, Mass.) took the game 2 defeat to fall to 3-3 on the season.
• UMass Boston still owns the all-time series lead over Emmanuel now with a 15-9 record against the Saints.

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel returns to action tomorrow evening for a GNAC twinbill at Rivier University scheduled to start at 6:00 PM in Nashua, N.H.
• UMass Boston in back on Thursday, April 12 when they play host to Lesley University for two starting at 3:00 PM on the Harborside campus.