Softball Advances to Championship Series With 8-4 Sunday Morning Win vs. SJC

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel 8 – Saint Joseph's College 4

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (26-11)
Saint Joseph's College Monks (20-18)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Clemente Field

Date: Sunday, May 8, 2022

THE LEAD – The Saints softball program run to the championship continues following Sunday morning's 8-4 win over Saint Joseph's College, in an elimination game, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championships. The win sends Emmanuel into the GNAC Championship Series with Johnson & Wales.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Monks held a 1-0 lead on a bottom of the second, sacrifice fly to center by first-year Paige Connery (Tyngsboro, Mass.). But the Saints response was quick, coming in the form of three runs in the top of the third.
• A two-out rally for the Saints in the third, gave EC their first lead of the morning. With the bases loaded, senior Grace Orcutt (Lexington, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, tying the game at 1-1. First-year Abigail Farr (Windsor Locks, Conn.) followed that with a two-run double into left field, putting Emmanuel up 3-1.
• The Saints upped the advantage to 5-1 in the top of the fourth on back-to-back, RBI doubles by sophomore Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) and senior Kiana Hinson (Whittier, Calif.). SJC responded in the bottom half, taking advantage of a wild pitch that scored junior Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine). Connery followed with a single up the middle, cutting the Monks deficit to 5-3.
• EC and SJC traded runs in the sixth, keeping Emmanuel ahead 6-4, but the best chance St. Joe's had to tie the game was with two outs and runners on second and third. Senior Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine) stepped in but a lineout to third base ended the threat with the Monks trailing by two.
• The Saints added insurance in the top of the seventh, scoring a pair, including a pinch-hit RBI double from EC first-year Madison Marks (Edgewater Park, N.J.) on the way to an 8-4 Emmanuel victory, pushing them through to the GNAC Championship Series.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Farr finished 3-for-4, including a pair of doubles, two RBI, and a run scored.
• Hinson and junior Maegan Amsler (Hanover, Mass.) each went 2-for-4. Hinson added a double and two RBI.
• First-year Brenna Whittaker (Cranston, R.I.) went the distance, pitching a complete game while allowing four runs, all earned, on seven hits, improving to 9-5 with the win.
• Monks sophomore Lydia Goodnow (Kennebunkport, Maine) batted 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, and two runs scored. Connery finished 1-for-2 with two RBI.
• Junior Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) pitched 3.1 innings for SJC, allowing five runs, all earned, on five hits.

UP NEXT

• The Sunday morning win for the Saints moves them into the GNAC Championship Series with games set to start at 12:30 p.m. today.
• The Monks are eliminated from the postseason and finish the year at 20-18 overall.