Saints Down Sharks in Twinbill Sweep; 8-3 & 4-1

BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College took care of business in both games against neighborhood rival Simmons University Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field, topping the Sharks 8-3 and 4-1 in the doubleheader sweep. The Saints improved to 7-3 on the season and extend their winning streak to six straight while matching the best start in program-history through 10 games.

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel College, 8; Simmons University, 3
Emmanuel College, 4, Simmons University, 1
Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (7-3, 2-0 GNAC)
Simmons University Sharks (0-2)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2021

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• Simmons drew first blood in the top of the 3rd inning when a single off the bat of senior Christie Bott (Seaford, NY) scored junior Allie Mulhern (Westford, Mass.) who bunted and stole her way into scoring position.
• Emmanuel answered in the 4th with a two-run home run by first year Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I) to gain the lead. Patience helped the Saints as a bases loaded walk added to their total to finish the inning up 3-1. 
• The damage was far from over as a two-run single by sophomore Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.) in the 5th added onto the lead to improve the score 5-1 in the Saints' favor. 
• Emmanuel capped off their scoring in the 6th with three more runs thanks to sophomore Maegan Amsler's (Hanover, Mass.) single off an error which scored junior Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I). Senior Emily Blanchard (Sturbridge, Mass.) topped off the inning with a two-run blast to comfortably give the Saints an 8-1 lead.
• Simmons answered twice in the 7th with a Bott solo homerun, and run scored on an error, but it was too little too late as Emmanuel picked up their sixth win of the season, 8-3. 
• On the bump for EC, senior Megan Long (Greenville, R.I.) had another impressive outing going the full seven innings with 10 strikeouts and two earned runs.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Saints had help all around with three players (Conti, Blanchard & Pacheco) knocking in 2 RBI each, marking the first time this season three players on EC knocked in multiple players in the same game.
• The homeruns for Conti and Blanchard were both their first collegiate blasts. 
• Long threw her fifth complete game of the year and added to her season strikeout total (48) which leads the team and the GNAC.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• Emmanuel got off to an early lead in the 1st inning with junior Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I) scoring off a double by junior Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.). 
• The Saints kept to their advantage in the 3rd with the help of some miscues by the Simmons defense. Conti, junior Kiana Hinson, and Amsler each drove in a run to push the lead to 4-0 EC heading into the 4th. 
• The Sharks only time cracking the scoreboard came in the 5th when Mulhern singled and drove in senior Marissa Santoro (Franklin, Mass.) to cut the lead down to 4-1.
• EC sophomore Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) hurled a complete game for the win, allowing five hits and one earned run.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Dawe earned her third win of the season and her five hits allowed was a season-low.
• Hinson drove in her team leading seventh RBI of the season in the victory. 
• Emmanuel regains the all-time series lead with the sweep, moving to 27-26 all-time vs. the Sharks.

UP NEXT

• Both teams return to action tomorrow in a rematch of today's twinbill with the Sharks acting as the home team and first pitch scheduled for 12:00 PM at Roberto Clemente Field.

*Written by EC Athletic Communications Correspondent Thomas Sullivan '24