Softball Claims 2021 GNAC Crown; Sweeps JWU 8-0, 10-2

THE BASICS 

Score:             
Johnson & Wales University 0; Emmanuel College, 8 (5 inn.)
Johnson & Wales University 2; Emmanuel College, 10 (6 inn.)
Records:         
Emmanuel College Saints (20-4, 9-1 GNAC)
Johnson & Wales University Wildcats (18-9, 11-3 GNAC)
Location:         
Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field
Date:               
Saturday, May 8, 2021

THE LEAD:  For the first time in program history, Emmanuel College claimed the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball championship with a pair of victories over Johnson & Wales University Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clement Field. The Saints posted an 8-0 win in five innings in Game 1 of the Championship series before sweeping the Wildcats with a 10-2 six inning victory in Game 2.

HOW IT HAPPENED  (GM 1)

• Following two scoreless innings of action, EC took control with four runs in the bottom half of the third on a two-RBI single by sophomore third baseman Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) and a two-RBI double from sophomore Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.)
• Emmanuel plated four more runs in the fifth to walk off with the 8-0 run-rule victory as junior Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.) made it 5-0 with an RBI single to right field.
• Amsler doubled down the left field line to drive in two more to bump the lead to 7-0 before Dawe ended the game with an RBI double, plating Amsler to account for the 8-0 final.
• Senior pitcher Megan Long (Greenville, R.I.) didn't need much run support to earn her 10^th victory of the year, hurling five innings of shutout ball and surrendering just two hits to pick up the win.
  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Amsler ended the game going 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored while Dawe collected a pair of doubles and three RBI in the win.
• Long allowed just two hits while striking out three to improve to 10-2 on the year, bouncing back from a loss in her last start to the Wildcats on May 1 at Clemente.
• JWU senior third baseman Jill Pulek (Cheshire, Conn.) registered both Wildcat hits in the loss including her league-leading 14^th double of the year.
• Sophomore pitcher Livia Feole (Cranston, R.I.) suffered the loss, working four-plus innings in the circle and surrendering seven runs on five hits while striking out three to fall to 6-4 on the year.

HOW IT HAPPENED  (GM 2)

• Acting as the visiting team in the nightcap, the Saints stayed hot by scoring in the top of the first inning with the help of a JWU miscue to go ahead 1-0 early on as first-year shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) plated the run.
• Emmanuel made it 2-0 in the second on a sacrifice fly RBI by junior right fielder Renae LaCroix (Cumberland, R.I.), driving in sophomore centerfielder Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.).
• EC broke the game open in the third with four runs, fueled by a two-RBI double to left-center from junior catcher Avery Webb (Hollis, N.H.). Webb was inches away from belting a three-run homer but ended up scoring on the play due to a throwing error that ended up out of play to move the Emmanuel lead to 5-0.
• The Wildcats found the scoreboard in the bottom of the third as senior catcher Devin Scales (Mount Airy, Md.) singled to left and first year shortstop Julia Huzi (Trumbull, Conn.) came around to score on the play thanks to an Emmanuel overthrow to make it 6-1.
• Emmanuel continued to push and plated four more runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-1 advantage. Conti made it 7-1 scoring on a wild pitch before Webb delivered her second two-RBI double of the game to make it 9-1. Senior first baseman Emily Blanchard scored what proved to an important insurance run on a wild pitch to account for a 10-1 score heading into the bottom half of the sixth.
• JWU fought to the end as senior Olivia DiGiacomo's (Franklin, Mass.) RBI single to left plated pinch runner Jessica Rynne (Boston, Mass.) to make it 10-2 but the Saints were able to retire the side to preserve their second run-rule victory of the afternoon to secure the program's first GNAC Championship.
  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Dawe earned the win in the circle for the Saints to move to 10-2 on the season, scattering seven hits while allowing the two runs (one earned) to go along with seven strikeouts.
• Webb finished the game going 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored.
• Conti closed the action going 1-for-3 with two runs scored with a double in her final at bat to extend her hitting streak to 16 games.
• Scales and DiGiacomo each finished the game with two hits each for Johnson & Wales.
• Junior pitcher Summer Ramundo (Lincoln Park, N.J.) suffered the loss for JWU to fall to 7-5 on the season.

GNAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Alessandra Milardo – University of Saint Joseph (CT)
Frankie Ferrante – University of Saint Joseph (CT)
Laura Anderson – Albertus Magnus College
Angelina Ramada – Albertus Magnus College
Devin Scales – Johnson & Wales University
Livia Feole – Johnson & Wales University
Jill Pulek – Johnson & Wales University
Olivia Conti – Emmanuel College
Avery Webb – Emmanuel College
Tianna Dawe – Emmanuel College
MVP – Megan Long – Emmanuel College

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel advances to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in program history and will until Monday, May 17 to find out their opponent during the NCAA D-III Softball Selection Show on www.ncaa.com