Softball Earns Sunday Senior Day Sweep of Norwich

BOSTON – The Emmanuel College softball team (16-12, 9-1 GNAC) earned a Senior Day sweep of Norwich (4-12, 2-10 GNAC) on Sunday afternoon at Clemente Field in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action. The Saints used an eight-run first inning in game one to tally a 13-0 (F/5) victory and another eight-run inning, this time in the second, to take game two, 15-2 (F/5).

Prior to the start of the second game, Saints Softball honored two seniors, Emma Crisafulli (Loudonville, N.Y.) and Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.), for their contributions to the program over the last four seasons.

Game 1: Emmanuel 13, Norwich 0

The first three Saints batters of the game all reached base to begin the afternoon. It was Abigail Farr (Windsor Locks, Conn.) who opened the scoring for the home side with a two-RBI base hit up the middle. Taylor Chelak (Westborough, Mass.) and Mia Fernandes (Taunton, Mass.) also posted RBI singles in the inning as the Saints jumped out to an 8-0 lead after one.

In the bottom of the third, the Emmanuel offense came alive again through a hard-hit double from Sammy Hayes (Braintree, Mass.). Hayes' double scored two, making the Saints lead 10-0. Emely Rodriguez (Lynn, Mass.) later singled to add another run to the Saints' total.

The Cadets' Kennedy White (Randolph Center, Vt.) found a hole through the left side in the top of the fourth inning to break up Madison Marks' (Edgewater Park, N.J.) no-hit bid. Farr and Hayes each pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning as the Saints rolled to a 13-0 (F/5) game one victory.

Marks was excellent in the circle for the Saints, going 5.0 innings and allowing just one hit in her winning performance. It was her second one-hit, shutout in as many days after yesterday's performance against Regis. Farr finished the first game 2/3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Taylor Chelak added in two singles, two RBI, and two runs scored in the victory.

Emmanuel 15, Norwich 2

After the Saints went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, it was Olivia Conti who started the Emmanuel offensive attack in game two. Conti drove a second-inning solo shot over the left-centerfield fence to put the home team on the board. The home run was followed by a double from Farr, an RBI-triple from Hayes, and an RBI-double from Crisafulli to give Emmanuel a 3-0 edge. Later in the inning, Conti stepped into the batters box again and launched her second home run of the game, this time a three-run shot, as the Saints opened up an 8-0 advantage after two innings.

Norwich added two runs in top half of the third after the inning was extended due to a Saints defensive miscue. Julia Vawter (Pelham, N.H.) and Hailey Williams (Tamaqua, Pa.) each singled to drive in a run apiece and cut the lead to six.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, Taylor Chelak lined a single into left field to add another Emmanuel run. The Saints added six more runs in the inning with Rebecca Markie (West Hartford, Conn.), Madeline Parrish (Andover, Mass.), and Crisafulli tallying hits to help push the lead to 15-2 after three. The score would hold, with the Saints taking game two, 15-2 (F/5), and earning the Senior Day sweep.

Olivia Conti finished the second game with two home runs, three runs scored, and five RBI to lead the Saints. She now leads the GNAC in home runs with eight. Crisafulli added two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored to cap off her afternoon. The pitching duo of Mackenzie Briggs (West Warwick, R.I.) and MeKayla Poisson (Peabody, Mass.) combined to allow just four hits in game two, with both runs unearned. Williams and Vawter each finished with a hit and an RBI for the Cadets in the loss.

Up next, Norwich will return home for a GNAC doubleheader with Rivier on Wednesday (4/24) with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 P.M. The Saints will visit neighboring Simmons University on Wednesday for a conference twin bill being at 5:00 P.M.