SOFTBALL TEAM NOTCHES GNAC SPLIT WITH MOUNT IDA
April 2, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Softball Team picked up a split in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, falling to Mount Ida College 7-4, and defeating the Mustangs, 9-1. The Saints were the visiting team for the conference double-header, which was moved to the turf on Roberto Clemente Field, after Friday's snowfall. With the split, Emmanuel improves to 6-8 overall and remains at .500 with a 2-2 GNAC record. Mount Ida now stands at 5-11 on the season and 1-3 in the league.
Game one featured the Saints jumping out to a 4-run lead through the fifth inning. Freshman shortstop and GNAC Weekly Honor Roll selection Sierra Roccaro (Parlin, N.J.) tallied a lead-off double in the first inning to get things started for the Saints. An ensuing single by Chelsey Guselli (Methuen, Mass.) followed and both runners scored to give Emmanuel a quick 2-0 lead.
The Saints tacked on another run in the third, following another hit by Roccaro. Sophomore Kelly Lloid (Issaquah, Wash.) drove in Roccaro with a single to right center and the Saints led, 3-0. Emmanuel's fourth run of the game came in the fifth inning, when freshman Julia Levins (Uxbridge, Mass.) singled and Guselli moved her a couple bases, before she scored on a Mustang error.
Mount Ida found the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back doubles, cutting the Mustang deficit to 4-1. The Saints were held scoreless in both the sixth and seventh innings, despite another hit from Guselli.
The seventh inning proved to be the game-changer for Mount Ida. The Mustangs scored six runs off of four hits, including a 3 RBI walk-off home run to come from behind and win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior pitcher Kathryn Copp (Fremont, N.H.) took the loss for Emmanuel, giving up 8 hits in her 7 innings pitched. Picard picked up the win for Mount Ida.
The Saints battled back in game two and managed to pull off an early win after just five innings played. Another Guselli single got things started for Emmanuel in the first. Lloid moved her to third, before Elyse Turgeon (Dracut, Mass.) hit an RBI single to score Guselli and Emmanuel led 1-0.
A solo homerun by Heather Hamel (Belchertown, Mass.) in the fourth pushed the Saints' lead to 2-0. Mount Ida struck back in the home side, notching three hits and cutting their deficit to 2-1.
A huge fifth inning for Emmanuel proved to be too much for the Mustangs to overcome. The Saints scored 7 runs off of 3 hits, including a double by Guselli, singles from Levins, Lloid and Turgeon, as well as an RBI double by freshman 3rd baseman Kayla Howard (Belmont, N.H.).
Lloid picked up the win for the Saints, her fourth of the season, striking out 6 of her 19 batters faced. Picard suffered the loss for the Mustangs. Guselli finished a solid day by going a combined 5 for 7 from the plate with 2 runs batted in for the Saints.
Emmanuel will host a GNAC double-header with Simmons College tomorrow on Clemente Field. The first game is slated to begin at 12:00pm.