Softball Blanks Norwich in GNAC Twinbill Lifting Berry to EC Wins Record

THE BASICS 

GM 1 Score: Emmanuel College, 14 – Norwich University, 0 (5 inn.)
GM 2 Score: Emmanuel College, 8 – Norwich University, 0 (5 inn.)

Records: 
Emmanuel Saints (4-8, 2-0 GNAC)
Norwich Cadets (5-7, 0-2 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field

Date: Saturday, April 2, 2022

THE LEAD – Emmanuel College used the combination of strong starting pitching and the long ball to shut out Norwich University, 14-0 and 8-0, in a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference softball contests Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. The Game 1 victory moved EC Head Coach Olivia Berry atop the Emmanuel record book for career coaching victories with 78 in just her fifth year at the helm.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• The Saints sent 14 players to bat in the first inning, scoring nine runs on eight hits to take control in the opening contest from the jump. Senior second baseman Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.) opened the scoring with a three-run blast to left field to make it 3-0. Senior catcher Avery Webb (Hollis, N.H.) doubled home first year Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) to bump it to 4-0 and came around to score on a towering two-run homer by senior Grace Orcutt (Lexington, Mass.) to make it 6-0. EC tacked on three more unearned runs to account for the 9-0 advantage capped by an RBI single to center from sophomore shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) to mark her second hit in the inning.
• Two more unearned runs in the second moved the hosts lead to 11-0 as junior leftfielder Jadynne Hill (Haverhill, Mass.) drove in a run in the frame.
• Emmanuel posted a three-run third to account for the 14-0 final as Orcutt drove in another run after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and later Hill collected an RBI single through the left side to cap the Game 1 scoring.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 1)

• EC first year pitcher Brenna Whittaker (Cranston, R.I.) made quick work of the Cadets in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout for her second collegiate win. She scattered just two hits over five innings of work, striking out a career-high seven batters to improve to 2-3 on the year.
• Norwich junior Allison Northup (Westerly, R.I.) suffered the loss working two innings and allowing 11 runs (six earned) before giving way to first year Kennedy White (Randolph Center, Vt.) who surrendered three runs (one earned) on just two hits over two innings while striking out three.
• Conti finished the game going 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI while Orcutt was 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored.
• NU first year Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) collected both Cadets hits off of Whittaker including a fourth inning double.
• Coach Berry moves into first all-time in wins at Emmanuel surpassing Rob Spofford (2013-16) who compiled 77 victories during his four years with the program, one of which Berry served as an Assistant Coach on the staff.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• Solo home runs by Orcutt in the second and Conti in the third helped the Saints race ahead to a 2-0 lead through the first three innings of play.
• EC broke the game open in the fourth plating five runs on three hits to make it 7-0. First year outfielder Abigail Farr (Windsor Locks, Conn.) belted an RBI double to left center to plate Webb to make it 3-0. Junior centerfielder Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.) singled through the left side to drive home Orcutt moving the score to 4-0. The Saints went on to load the bases with two outs before a dropped fly ball allowed all three runs to score and give EC a 7-0 cushion.
• The Saints walked it off in the fifth with the help of the run-rule as Pacheco singled through the left side to drive in Webb to account for the 8-0 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 2)

• Orcutt went the distance in Game 2 for her first pitching victory of the season. The senior scattered three hits over 5.0 innings of work for the first complete-game shutout of her career, striking out five to move to 1-0 on the season.
• NU sophomore Annika Beebe (Marianna, Fla.) threw well for the Cadets but suffered the loss to fall to 3-2, scattering five hits over 3.0 innings of work and allowing just the two runs, both coming on the EC solo blasts. Beebe also finished the game going 2-for-2 at the plate with a double.
• Pacheco and Farr each finished the game with two hits as the outfield duo combined to go 4-for-6 with three RBI in the victory.
• First year Rachel Kempf (Warwick, R.I.) recorded the only other NU hit in the conference game.
• EC improves to 27-14 overall against Norwich and has now won six straight and 11 of the last 15 meetings.

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel returns to action tomorrow afternoon, heading just south of the city to take on Eastern Nazarene in a non-conference doubleheader scheduled to start at 2:00 PM in Quincy, Mass.
• Norwich is also back on the diamond tomorrow, hosting Rivier University in more GNAC action starting at 1:00 PM in Northfield, Vt.