BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College split with Lasell College under sunny skies on Roberto Clemente Field in Saturday's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball double-header. The Saints took game one in shutout fashion, 1-0, but dropped game two, 4-3, in eight innings. With the split, Emmanuel wraps up the regular season at 17-15 overall and 12-10 in GNAC play. Lasell ends the year at 9-25 and 6-16 in the league.
Game One:
One run in the fourth inning was all the host Saints would need in the GNAC twinbill opener. The two clubs played scoreless ball through three innings, despite a lead-off single to right-field from Emmanuel's junior shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) in the Saints' first at-bat.
The Saints were able to get themselves out of a bases-loaded situation in the top of the fourth.
Lasell's Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) reached on a hit to left-field, Denise Archetto (Cranston, R.I.) was walked and Emily Noll (Weymouth, Mass.) ripped a two–out single up the middle to load the bases. However, the hosts were able to get out of the jam and were then able to get themselves on the board in the bottom of the side.
EC freshman Abbey Alexiades (Kingston, Mass.) smashed a double to deep centerfield in the bottom of the fourth, sending the Lasers' centerfielder through the outfield fence. The rookie third-baseman was then driven in on Erin Walsh's (Granby, Conn.) game-winning RBI-single to right and Emmanuel was on the scoreboard at 1-0 after four. The Saints left two runners on in the bottom of the sixth, but the one run in the fourth was all the home club would need, as EC pulled out the 1-0 win.
Sophomore pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) improved to 10-6 in the circle for the Saints. Kilcoyne gave up just three hits and walked two, while fanning five in the win for EC.
Junior pitcher Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) took the loss for the Lasers, dropping to 4-13 on the year. Bergin gave up five hits and the one earned run.
Game Two:
Emmanuel led 3-0 in game two, heading into the seventh inning, but Lasell was able to come from behind and score three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game and force an extra inning, before pulling out the 4-3 win in the nightcap.
Emmanuel's sophomore pitcher Samantha Adams (Sanford, Maine) seated four out of the first six Laser batters with Ks. She would hold the Lasers without a hit through six innings, but the visitors were able to use their three hits in the seventh to score three runs in knotting the game at 3-all.
The Saints' early lead came via two runs in the third and another in the sixth. A pair of walks and an outfield error by the Lasers loaded the bases for the Saints in the bottom of the third. Two more walks scored Davis and Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) and Emmanuel took a 2-0 lead, heading into the fourth. Junior left-fielder Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) ripped a solo homerun over the left-field fence in the sixth and the Saints went up 3-0.
Following Nicole LeBlanc's (Easton, Mass.) hit in the top of the seventh, Lasell's first of the game, DeAngelis pushed the Laser's first run through with a single to left. LeBlanc and DeAngelis held second and third with one out and Michaela Grady (Worcester, Mass.) at the plate. The senior hit a pop-up fly for the second out, before Krystel Enko (Haydenville, Mass.) ripped a 2-RBI single through the left side of the Saints' infield, scoring two more Laser runs to tie the game at 3-3.
Emmanuel went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, forcing the eighth inning. Just one tie-breaker inning was all the Lasers would need. With Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine) placed on second base, she was moved to third with Larghi's sacrifice bunt. Smith then raced home on Archetto's perfectly placed RBI bunt and the Lasers took game two, 4-3.
Bergin earned the win for the Lasers, coming in to pitch at the top of the eighth inning.
Adams suffered the loss for the Saints, dropping to 4-8 on the season. She gave up four hits, walked two and struck out seven in the effort.
The Saints and the Lasers will now wait to hear about their pairing for the upcoming GNAC Tournament.
Recap Courtesy of Emmanuel College Sports Information