Softball Bests Simmons in Key GNAC Showdown, 10-1 & 8-6

THE BASICS 

GM 1 Score: Emmanuel College, 10 – Simmons University, 1 (5 inn.)
GM 2 Score: Emmanuel College, 8 – Simmons University, 6

Records: 
Emmanuel Saints (9-9, 6-0 GNAC)
Simmons Sharks (13-10-1, 4-2 GNAC)

Location: Brighton, Mass. – Daly Field

Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2022

THE LEAD – In an important Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division showdown, Emmanuel College posted a pair of victories over Simmons University Wednesday evening at Daly Field in Brighton, Mass. The Saints captured Game 1 by a 10-1 score in five innings before hanging on for an 8-6 victory in Game 2 for the conference sweep.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

Simmons senior right-hander Maddie Castigliego made quick work of Emmanuel through the first two innings, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the second inning. But the second time through the order the Saints bats came to life, as they put up three runs in both the third and fourth innings. A three-RBI double down the left field line by EC centerfielder Julyanne Pacheco (Somerset, Mass.) broke the game open in the fourth to make it a 6-0 game.

Castigliego helped her own cause in the home half of the fourth and broke up the shutout her third homerun of the season to make it 6-1 but the Saints responded with four more runs in the fourth including a solo home run by EC senior catcher Avery Webb (Hollis, N.H.) to open up the 10-1 score.

EC junior Tianna Dawe (Peabody, Mass.) tossed five innings allowing just four hits, while striking out six to earn her second win of the year for the Saints.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

The Saints stayed hot to start game two as they took a quick 7-0 lead, scoring in each of the first three innings. First year Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) blasted her first collegiate home run in the first before first year Abigail Farr (Windsor Locks, Conn.) led off the second with a triple and scored on a sac fly by junior Jadynne Hill (Haverhill, Mass.) to make it 5-0. Marks blasted her second home run of the game in the third, another two-run bomb, to account for the 7-0 score before the Sharks quietly chipped their way back into the game.

In the bottom of the third, junior Sam Barr put Simmons on the board pulling a 1-1 pinch down the left field line for her fourth homerun on the season. An inning later, senior Shannon McMahon sent an 0-2 pitch over the centerfield fence to cut the deficit to five, 7-2.

The game stood that way for the next inning and a half when the Sharks mounted a late-inning rally in the home half of the sixth. Senior shortstop Allie Mulhern opened the frame beating out a bunt single then quickly got herself into scoring position with a steal of second. After Mulhern scampered 60 feet on a ground out, sophomore Jordyn Rubin and senior Christie Bott walked to load the bases with only one out.

With the Sharks threatening to score, it appeared as though Emmanuel game two starter Brenna Whittaker would get out of the inning unscathed. Whittaker got her counterpart, Castigliego, to pop out to second for the second out of the inning, but the third out was elusive for the Saints pitcher.

Whittaker walked senior catcher Emma Thacher on four pitches to force home Mulhern, before junior Kylie Collins dropped in a two-out single down the left field line to bring in both Bott and Rubin to bring the Sharks back within two runs. Barr continued the two-out rally lining a base hit back where it came from to plate Thacher and knock Whittacker from the game. Dawe came in in relief retired senior Alex Morang on strikes to end the threat.

Emmanuel added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a solo blast by sophomore shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) to make it 8-6 and Dawe returned to the circle for the seventh to retire the side in order in the home half to pick up her second save of the season.

EMMANUEL HIGHLIGHTS

• Pacheco went 2-for-3 with four RBI, a walk and run scored while Hill was 2-for-2 with two RBI, two runs scored and a walk in the Game 1 win.
• Marks posted a 2-for-3 showing with two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored in Game 2 while Webb, Farr and senior Grace Orcutt (Lexington, Mass.) all chipped in with two hits each in Game 2.
• Dawe finished the day throwing 6 and 1/3 innings and allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight and collecting both a win and a save.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior Sam Barr went 2-for-5 on the night with her fourth homerun of the season and two RBI.
• Junior Kylie Collins went 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of RBI in game two.
• Senior Shannon McMahon launched her second homerun of the season – first up north – with a solo shot to straightaway centerfield in game two.

UP NEXT
Emmanuel is back in action tomorrow, April 14 when they play host to UMass Boston at Roberto Clemente Field for a non-conference twinbill slated for a 5:00 PM start. Simmons returns to the diamond on Friday, April 15 when they travel to Franklin, Mass. to face Dean College. First pitch is at 3:00 PM.

*Portions of release provided by Simmons University Athletic Communications