NEWTON, Mass. -- Simmons Softball swept the Mount Ida College Mustangs, 4-3 and 8-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon at Mount Ida College.

The Mustangs broke up the scoreless first game in the top of the fourth inning when Kirsten Guerrero doubled up the middle and later scored off a ground-rule double by Gina Onorevole. But the Sharks offense exploded, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Emily Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) doubled to center field and later crossed home plate when Christina Mulcahy (Cambridge, Mass.) singled through the right side. Cailin Pagel (Dorchester, Mass.) hit a perfectly placed bunt up the third base line and beat out the throw to drive in Amanda Gould (Kingston, N.H.) from third. Jen Field (Windham, Maine) reached first on a fielder's choice and Mulcahy scored to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead.

After a scoreless fifth inning, Mount Ida tied the game at three as Devan Meeker singled to center field and Tiffany Hamann bunted down the third base line and beat the throw to first. Rayelle Pierson singled up the middle to score Meeker and Onorevole picked up her second RBI of the game when she singled up the middle to drive in Hamann.

In the bottom of the sixth, Pagel reached on a costly error by the Mustangs and advanced to second off a single from Field. Sharks freshman Hannah Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) singled through the right side to send Pagel home for the go ahead run.

Kate Breslin (Westford, Mass.), who picked up the win on the mound, and the Sharks defense held the Mustangs to a scoreless top of the seventh to ensure the win.

In the second game, freshman pitcher Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) struck out 10 and recorded only two hits to lead the Sharks to an 8-0 victory in five innings.

With no score in the first, Simmons took a sizable lead in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs off four hits. Alaina DeNoncour (Johnston, R.I.) singled to second base to start things off for the Sharks. Pagel singled to centerfield, scoring DeNoncour, before Ari King (Westford, Mass.) hit a triple to the center field fence, picking up two RBI's. With no outs in the inning, H. Cunningham kept the bats alive for the Sharks when she singled up the middle to score King.

Backhaus struck out all three batters in the third and the Sharks added their fifth run off a sacrifice fly from Victoria Luongo (Medford, Mass.) who drove in Mulcahy.

In the bottom of the fourth, King reached first on a Mustang error and then scored when H. Cunningham tripled to center field. Katie McCarthy (Falmouth, Maine) grounded out to third base but picked up an RBI as H. Cunningham crossed home plate on the throw.

After a one, two, three top of the fifth by Backhaus, DeNoncour singled up the middle to start the inning for the Sharks. But Luongo hit a game-ending double to left field to give the Sharks an 8-0 lead and the win in five innings.

With the win, the Sharks move to 11-9 overall and 7-1 in the GNAC. They return to the field on Sunday, April 1st at Emerson College for another conference doubleheader. The Mustangs (7-13 overall, 1-7 GNAC) return to action on Saturday, March 31st when they travel to GNAC rival Emmanuel College for a 12:00 p.m. start.