Softball Set to Host Rivier in 2023 GNAC Tourney First Round Tilt

BOSTON, Mass. – After finishing the regular-season with an overall record of 22-16 and an 8-2 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Divisional action, the Emmanuel College softball program has earned the No. 3 seed in the GNAC North and will host No. 4 North Rivier University on Tuesday, May 2 at 4:30 PM at Roberto Clemente Field in the 2023 GNAC Softball Tournament Play-In Round.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Emmanuel:

• The Saints enter the GNAC tournament ranked first in the GNAC in doubles (66) and second overall in extra base hits (96).
• Emmanuel ranks second in conference action with a .531 slugging percentage and second in home runs against league opponents (9).
• EC's pitching staff has surrendered the second-fewest runs in the league at 129 on the year and is one of just three programs with a sub-three ERA (2.84).
• This season, Emmanuel has posted an 8-2 (.800) record in home games played at Roberto Clemente Field.

Rivier:

• The Raiders rank second in the GNAC with 242 runs scored and RBI (208), averaging just over 6.0 runs per game this season.
• Rivier also ranks second in the conference in walks, drawing a total of 129 base on balls through 40 regular-season contests (3.23 bb/g).
• RU leads the GNAC with 260 2/3 innings played this season and their pitchers have surrendered a league-high 374 hits (9.35 h/g).
• The squad ranks in the bottom half of the GNAC in team earned run average, entering the playoffs with a 4.73 ERA overall and 5.14 ERA against GNAC North opponents.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Emmanuel:

• Junior shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) remains one of the toughest outs in the GNAC for the third straight campaign. She ranks first in the league in stolen bases (18), second in home runs (8), fourth in runs scored (34), fifth in slugging (.639), seventh in doubles (11). Last week, she became Emmanuel's all-time career-leader in homers with her 23^rd career four-bagger.
• Senior pitcher Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) has posted a 9-3 record in the circle this year against GNAC teams. Following a slower start, the 2022 First Team All-GNAC pitcher has been the Saints ace and ranks first in the GNAC in innings pitched, appearances and shutouts. She ranks third in the league in wins (12), fifth in strikeouts (91) and has held opponents to a .256 batting average in GNAC play.
• Sophomore outfielder Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.) is enjoying a breakout campaign after transferring to Emmanuel from Endicott following her rookie campaign. She's filled the leadoff slot in the Saints lineup throughout the year batting a team-high .348, ranking sixth in the GNAC North with 46 hits on the year including 17 extra base hits on 11 doubles (T-7^th), three triples (T-7^th) and three homers (T-9^th).

Rivier:

• First year outfielder Christina Panagiotopoulos (Lowell, Mass.) leads the Raiders while ranking 10^th in the GNAC / fourth in GNAC North with a .405 batting average. She ranks third in the GNAC in RBI with 38 and sixth overall in slugging at .638, while also slugging at a .771 clip against GNAC opponents.
• Senior pitcher Nicole Verrette (Haverhill, Mass.) is Rivier's workhorse in the circle, logging 105+ innings on the year with a 6-7 record and 3.58 ERA. She's tossed eight complete games and is 2-0 over her last two starts including a complete-game shutout win vs. Albertus Magnus.
• First year infielder Kylee Caetano (New Bedford, Mass.) paced the Raiders with a team-best .468 on-base percentage this season, ranking fourth in the GNAC North and eighth overall in the conference. She's currently hitting .392 with 47 hits and has drawn 17 walks while also slugging .633.

COACHES' CORNER:

Olivia Berry- Emmanuel College
In her sixth year as Head Coach, Berry has enjoyed much success since rejoining the Saints in 2018 by posting an overall mark of 123-72 (.631). She became the first coach in program history to hit 100 career wins last season and has posted an impressive 62-14 mark in GNAC regular-season action during her tenure at Emmanuel. She was named the GNAC Coach of the Year in 2021 & 2022 and helped guide the Saints to the program's first GNAC crown two seasons ago. She's mentored a total of 28 GNAC All-Conference and seven NFCA All-Region players over her EC coaching career.

Mike Holloran – Rivier University
No stranger to Rivier athletics, Holloran has been on the Raiders staff a total of 23 seasons including the last seven as Head Coach. Over his time as skipper, the Raiders have posted an overall record of 60 wins and 114 losses (.345). This year's squad has 18 wins, the most under Holloran, and has gone 18-12 after starting the year 0-10 during their Spring Break trip to Florida.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:
Earlier this season, Emmanuel posted a pair on GNAC North wins over Rivier on April 2. The Saints picked up a 10-5 game 1 win powered by a pair of home runs from first year Christyna Winstead (Uncasville, Conn.) as well as a late three-run blast by Conti to close the door.

Game 2 featured some late-inning fireworks as junior Emma Crisafulli (Loudonville, N.Y.) belted a game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to even the score at 7-7 before Chelak walked the Saints off with the win in extras with an RBI single up the middle in the eighth inning for the 8-7 walk-off win.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Over their last 20 meetings, the Saints have posted a 15-5 overall record against the Raiders including 10 consecutive victories.

The Saints and Raiders have never met before in the GNAC postseason.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:
Emmanuel makes its 14^th appearance in the GNAC tournament and over that span has posted an overall record of 20-20 in 40 GNAC postseason games. The Saints have qualified for nine consecutive GNAC tournament fields dating back to 2014 and captured the GNAC title in 2021, the program's first and only crown. EC has not appeared in the Play-In round since 2018 and is 3-2 overall in this round with wins in 2015 over USJ (1-0), 2016 over Mount Ida (5-4) and 2018 vs. USJ (5-2). Their Play-In losses were to Suffolk in 2014 (4-2) and Norwich in 2017 (7-2).

Rivier returns to the GNAC postseason for the third consecutive tourney field. They've dropped their last two in the Play-In round, falling to Albertus Magnus in 2021, 6-1, and in 2022 they dropped a 4-3 decision to Saint Joseph's (ME). The Raiders have won two GNAC championships coming back in 2008 and 2010.

COVERAGE
Tuesday's GNAC tournament game will be streamed live on the web with livestats available. To tune into the live action, click on one of the links below:

LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS

2023 GNAC SOFTBALL TOURNEY SCHEDULE
First-Round - Tuesday, May 2 (Single-Elimination)

PLAY-IN 1: #4N Rivier at #3N Emmanuel – 4:30 PM
PLAY-IN 2: #4S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at #3S Lasell – 4:00 PM

Quarterfinals - Thursday, May 4 (Double-Elimination)

GAME 1: Winner of Play-In 1 vs. #2N Saint Joseph's (Maine) (at #1N Simmons) – TBD
GAME 2: Winner of Play-In 2 vs. #2S Albertus Magnus (at #1S Johnson & Wales) – TBD
GAME 3: Winner of Game 1 at #1N Simmons – TBD
GAME 4: Winner of Game 2 at #1S Johnson & Wales – TBD

Semifinals - Saturday, May 6 (Double-Elimination) (at #1S Johnson & Wales)

GAME 5: Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 1 (loser eliminated) – TBD
GAME 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 2 (loser eliminated) – TBD
GAME 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – TBD
GAME 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 – TBD

Championship - Sunday, May 7 (Double-Elimination) (at #1S Johnson & Wales)

GAME 9: Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 (loser eliminated)
GAME 10: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 7
GAME 11: If necessary