The Simmons College softball team closed out its regular season this weekend with a wild ride in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament. The Sharks finished 2-2 and wound up in third place but they played some memorable softball all weekend long.
In game one the Sharks dropped a 2-0 decision to eventual champion Rivier, as the offense could not muster anything and were dropped to the losers bracket.
Simmons packed up and drove from Lasell to Pine Manor to take on St. Joseph (Conn.) immediately.
Both teams traded zeroes for five innings as pitchers Sammi Letizio and Sara Dudley matched each other inning for inning.
But in the sixth the Sharks pushed three across. Letizio led off with a single, Merri Burr pinch ran for her, and wound up on third after Annie Thompson's double.
Dannie Szabo then followed with a two RBI single. She promptly stole second, and scored on Natalie West's RBI single.
Leading 3-0 the Sharks ran into trouble, as St. Joseph answered right back with three runs of their own to tie the game.
The resilience of the Sharks as whole was incredible all weekend, and it started in the 7th of this one.
Emily Nalband singled, and moved to second on Annie Thompson's single. Both of them scored as Szabo won a lengthy at-bat with Dudley, after fouling off numerous pitches she scorched a single to left that was misplayed, and scored both runners for a 5-3 lead.
Natalie West then came on and earned the save as Sam Green made a tremendous play at second base to record the final out and preserve the victory.
The Sharks packed up and headed back to Lasell for a showdown with the league's other St. Joseph, this time from Maine.
Simmons looked a little lethargic in the first as the Monks put up four runs on the board.
St. Joseph (Me) took a 5-0 lead in the third inning, but Letizio came on in relief and the Sharks offense went to work.
After scoring a run in the fourth, Simmons put together a remarkable comeback in the fifth.
Ann Talarico, playing with a badly injured thumb, led off with a single. She was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Steph Murray, and scored on Emily Nalband's single. Kristen Souza followed with a hit.
Annie Thompson then strolled to the plate representing the tying run. After fouling off a number of pitches with two strikes, she got the one she liked and blasted a game tying three run homer to left field.
With all the momentum on the Sharks side Szabo kept things rolling by taking the first pitch she saw and launched a solo shot to right center field to give the Sharks a 6-5 lead.
St. Joseph's (Me) loaded the bases in the sixth, but Letizio managed to wiggle her way out of the jam, and she shut the door in the seventh to give the Sharks a thrilling comeback win.
On Sunday Simmons came back just one win away from the finals and set to face Pine Manor. The Gators got out to an early 4-0 lead, that was stretched to 5-0 after five.
But in the sixth, Talarico, despite her injured thumb, belted an incredible three run homer to further pad her school record for career round trippers. Pine Manor added one in the bottom of the sixth, but the Sharks wouldn't quit in the seventh.
Letizio and Thompson both reached base, and RBI singles from Szabo and Natalie West cut the deficit to 6-5. But the Sharks would get no closer, and Pine Manor advanced to the finals with the win.
Simmons ends it's regular season with a terrific 31-10 record, the most wins in school history, and now awaits word on an ECAC berth which will be announced on Monday.