SOFTBALL TEAM TAKES TWO 5-INNING WINS FROM ALBERTUS MAGNUS
April 15, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel Softball Team hit close to .400 as a team en route to a pair of five-innings wins (11-3, 12-2) over Albertus Magnus College. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) double-header was played under the lights at Clemente Field on Friday night. The two wins helped Emmanuel improve to 9-18 on the season and 5-11 in conference play, while Albertus Magnus is still seeking the program's first win of 2011 at 0-18 (0-14 GNAC).
Albertus Magnus took a quick 2-run lead to open game one, after singles by Elizabeth Williams (West Haven, Conn.) and Tiffany Ortiz (New Haven, Conn.). The Saints struck back in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs off of one hit to take a 3-2 edge.
The Falcons then knotted the ballgame in the top of the 3rd, when Melissa Manning (Milford, Conn.) hit an RBI double, which scored Shanilya Bush (New Haven, Conn.). The hosts battled back in the bottom of the side and took another one-run lead after Heather Hamel (Belchertown, Mass.) hit an RBI single, scoring Elyse Turgeon (Dracut, Mass.) to put the Saints up 4-3.
The top of the fourth featured Emmanuel scoring 7 runs off of 5 hits. Chelsey Guselli (Methuen, Mass.) kicked things off by smashing a triple that scored Jackie Murray (Saugus, Mass.). Hits by Kelly Lloid (Issaquah, Wash.) and Sierra Rocarro (Parlin, N.J.) gave way to a double by Hamel. An RBI single by Marissa Mazzotta (Westerly, R.I.) scored Hamel. The Saints powered through the full batting order in the fourth and came away with the 11-3 win, ending the contest after five innings.
Lloid went the distance for the Saints, picking up her 5th win of the season. The sophomore hurler struck out 7 of her 20 batters faced, giving up 5 hits and 1 earned run. Krista LaBissioniere (Meriden, Conn.) took the loss for the Falcons.
Game two opened with the Falcons jumping out to a 1-0 lead, but the Saints rebounded quickly to go up 4-1 after one inning played. In the bottom of the second, freshman 3rd baseman Kayla Howard (Belmont, N.H.) drove in Guselli and Turgeon and Emmanuel was out in front, 6-1.
A third inning double by Turgeon, drove in three more Saints' runs. A couple of Falcon fielding errors led to another pair of Saints crossing the plate and the hosts mounted an 11-2 lead through three innings played. Fourth inning hits by Amanda Donato (Arlington, Mass.) and Mazzotta helped tack on one more Emmanuel run and the Saints led 12-2.
After an Albertus Magnus double by Sam Corso (Derby, Conn.) with one out in the top of the fifth, Murray made a great catch near the centerfield fence and freshman pitcher Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) made a nice defensive stab to get the out at first. The Saints held on for the 12-2 win in five innings of action.
Garrity picked up her 2nd win of the season, pitching the full five innings, while fanning 3 and giving up 5 hits and 2 runs. Corso suffered the loss for the Falcons.
Emmanuel will host the Blue Jays of Saint Joseph College (CT) on Saturday (4/16) in a GNAC double-header beginning at noon on Clemente Field.