Softball Opens GNAC Play with Sunday Sweep of Anna Maria

Softball Opens GNAC Play with Sunday Sweep of Anna Maria

BOSTON – The Saints tallied 22 hits and allowed just one run as the Emmanuel College softball team (9-7, 2-0 GNAC) completed a two-game sweep over Anna Maria (8-10, 0-2 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Sunday afternoon at Clemente Field. Emmanuel took the first contest of the day 4-0 before an offensive explosion led to a 9-1 (F/5) victory in game two for a strong start to the conference season.

Marks Fans 11, Farr Homers as Softball Earns 4-0 Victory

Over the first three innings, the Saints scattered three hits and left four runners on base but were unable to plate a run. It wasn't until Abigail Farr (Windsor Locks, Conn.) stepped into the batter's box to begin the home half of the fourth inning that the Saints would score. Farr launched a rocket that cleared the fence in left-center to post her first career homerun and give the Saints a 1-0 edge.

Emmanuel gave themselves some breathing room in the bottom of the sixth inning through some first-year run production. Alexis Martineau (Merrimack, N.H.) knocked a single into left field to score a pair followed by a sac-fly from Madeline Parrish (Andover, Mass.) to push the lead to four.

Four runs was all it would take for the Saints to earn their first win of the conference season. The AMCATS first three batters, Shay Savoie (Alexander First Nation, Alberta), Kaitlyn Hicks (Stansbury Park, Utah), and Sabrina Liston, (Rehoboth, Mass.) each tallied a hit in the loss. Farr finished the contest with 2 hits including her homerun while Martineau added a pair of hits and RBIs for the Saints. Marks threw a gem in the circle, striking out 11 AMCATS in her complete game shutout victory.

Saints Tally 14 Hits for 9-1 Run-Rule Win

The Saints got the scoring started early in game two. Amanda Penney (Warwick, R.I.) and Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.) lead off the matchup with back-to-back singles. Defensive miscues from Anna Maria along with an RBI groundout pushed both runners across for an early 2-0 Emmanuel lead.

Gabrielle Vasquez (Price, Utah) led off the top of the second inning with a double. Madison Levesque (Feeding Hills, Mass.) later plated the first AMCATS run of the afternoon via sac-fly. The home side tacked on another run in the second inning, once again courtesy of hits from Penney and Chelak, who recorded the RBI to make the score 3-1.

Mia Fernandes (Taunton, Mass.) led off the bottom of the fourth with a hard-hit double to deep left field. The Saints added another pair of runs in the inning to lead 5-1. Martineau, Fernandes and Chelak all doubled in the fifth to help push the Saints to 9 runs and earn a 9-1 game two run-rule triumph.

Savioe and Vazquez tallied a hit apiece for Anna Maria in the loss. Penney and Chelak each posted three-hit afternoons while Fernades finished with two doubles, two RBIs, and two Runs for the Saints. Mackenzie Briggs (West Warwick, R.I.) allowed just one hit and one run over 5.0 innings to earn the victory in the circle.

Up next, the AMCATS will return home for a nonconference doubleheader with Worcester State on Monday (4/8) with first pitch scheduled at 3:00 P.M. The Saints will face-off with Suffolk on Wednesday (4/10) for a pair of nonconference games at Clemente Field beginning at 5:00 P.M.