Saints Walk-Off With Two Wins Over UMass Boston, 11-1 & 4-3

THE BASICS 

GM 1 Score: Emmanuel College, 11 – UMass Boston, 1 (5 inn.)
GM 2 Score: Emmanuel College, 4 – UMass Boston, 3

Records: 
Emmanuel Saints (11-9, 6-0 GNAC)
UMB Beacons (15-9, 5-3 LEC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Roberto Clemente Field

Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022

THE LEAD – Junior outfielder Jadynne Hill (Haverhill, Mass.) and sophomore shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) each delivered walk-off hits to propel Emmanuel College past UMass Boston, 11-1 & 4-3, Thursday evening in non-conference softball action at Roberto Clemente Field.  

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 1)

• Leading 8-1 in the fifth inning with two runners aboard, Hill blasted a three-run shot to move the score into run-rule territory for the 11-1 final in the opener.
• EC jumped out to a 1-0 lead with back-to-back doubles in the second by seniors Avery Webb (Hollis, N.H.) and Grace Orcutt (Lexington, Mass.) before tacking on two more in the third to make it 3-0. Hill scored the second Emmanuel run on a wild pitch before Webb registered an RBI single up the middle to give the hosts the three-run cushion.
• The Beacons got on the board in the fifth on an RBI pinch-hit single by Caley Ruggiero (Southbury, Conn.) to cut the deficit to 3-1 before the Saints exploded for eight runs in the bottom half of the frame to end the game early.
• Along with Hill's walk-off shot, Conti belted a two-run blast in the final inning to make it 6-1 before senior second baseman Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.) drove in a pair on a two-RBI double to left center, setting the stage for Hill's clutch bomb.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 1)

• Webb finished the game going 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored while Orcutt and Hinson each added two hits.
• EC junior starting pitching Tianna Dawe (Peabody, Mass.) threw well for the Saints to earn the win working 5.0 innings and allowing just the one run on five hits while striking out six.
• Junior Jordan Toomey (Arlington, Mass.) was the lone Beacon to record multiple hits in the game going 2-for-2 while scoring the only UMB run in the action.
• Senior Haley Catania (Amesbury, Mass.) suffered the loss working 4.0 plus innings of work and surrendering nine runs (six earned) on nine hits while striking out one to fall to 3-2 on the year in the circle.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GM 2)

• Following three scoreless frames, UMass Boston pushed across three runs in the top of the fourth to open up a 3-0 lead. First year Amauri English (North Providence, R.I.) got the scoring started with an RBI double to right center to make it 1-0 before coming around to score on an RBI double by sophomore Brianna Melchionda (Marshfield, Mass.). Melchionda scored on the third double of the inning, this one by Ruggiero to account for the three-run advantage.
• Emmanuel answered with a pair in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. Conti blasted a one-out homer to make it 3-1 before Webb came around to score on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by first year Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) to make it a one-run game.
• The Saints threatened in the fifth getting the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position with one out but a failed squeeze play resulted in the runner on third being picked off and UMass Boston was then able to retire the side holding onto the 3-2 lead going into the sixth.
• EC remained unfazed and went to work in their half of the sixth to even the score at 3-3 on a bloop RBI single to center by Marks. The Saints again put two runners in scoring position with just one out but UMB sophomore hurler Emily Doble (Danvers, Mass.) worked out of the jam to keep it a tied game at 3-all heading into the seventh.
• Dawe mowed down the Beacons in order in the top half of the frame to set the stage for more late-game Emmanuel heroics. Hill opened the stanza by working a walk to represent the winning run. After recording a pair of outs, Conti stepped up and laced a ball to the right field wall allowing Hill to scamper home from first for the walk-off 4-3 Emmanuel win.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (GM 2)

• Conti capped the night with a 3-for-4 showing, collecting two RBI to go along with two runs scored. Marks drove in the other two runs for the Saints.
• Dawe earned her second win of the day tossing 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, scattering two hits to go with three strikeouts to improve to 4-5 of the year. First year pitcher Brenna Whittaker (Cranston, R.I.) threw three strong innings before the Beacons bats came to life in the fourth to chase her from the game after 3.1 innings of action.
• Doble was the tough-luck loser, scattering seven hits over 6.1 innings while striking out a pair to fall to an even 4-4 mark on the campaign.
• Junior Sydney Sanden (Riverton, Conn.) was the only UMass Boston player to amass multiple hits in the nightcap going 3-for-4 with a run scored.

UP NEXT

• Both squads return to action on Saturday, April 16. The Saints hit the road for a key GNAC divisional twinbill at Saint Joseph's College (ME) starting at 11:30 AM. UMass Boston plays host to Plymouth State in an LEC showdown slated for a 1:00 PM first pitch.