WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Simmons softball defeated the Albertus Magnus Falcons, 10-1, to take the first game of the double header by the eight-run rule for their first win in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play of 2012. Sharks sophomore Emily Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) went three for four including a solo home run and senior Amanda Gould (Kingston, N.H.) added two runs and three RBI's to lead the Sharks to victory.
Simmons started strong, scoring three runs in the first inning. E. Cunningham singled to center field and Gould singled to left to drive in the run. Alaina DeNoncour (Johnston, R.I.) found a hole on the left side to drive in Gould and Christina Mulcahy (Cambridge, Mass.) who reached on a walk.
Albertus' lone run came in the second inning as Mirto doubled home Elaina Maio (West Haven, Conn.) from second. Maio led off the frame with a base hit to left before crossing the plate for the Falcons to cut the Sharks' lead to three at 4-1.
Simmons recorded eight hits in the ballgame, including four in the fourth inning as they drove in six runs to put the game away.
Sharks pitcher Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) allowed just two hits in five innings of work as she struck out nine batters.
Melissa Manning (Milford, Conn.) fell to 1-2 on the hill for the Falcons as she gave up eight hits and 10 runs in tonight's loss.
In the second game, a four-run sixth inning lifted Albertus Magnus to a 4-1 win over Simmons. The GNAC win marks the first for the program since defeating Emmanuel 5-2 at home on April 21, 2008.
The Sharks took the lead in the top of the third when Hannah Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) singled to center field. Jen Field (Windham, Maine) hit an infield single and E. Cunningham reached on an error to score H. Cunningham.
With the score still 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Falcons used two hits and two Simmons errors to take the three-run lead. Leyna Andren (Manahawkin, N.J.) led off the frame with a single, her second of the contest, before moving to second on a bunt single by Brittney Urciuoli (Newington, Conn.). A perfectly placed sacrifice bunt by junior Maritza Rosemond (New Haven, Conn.) advanced both runners into scoring position with two outs.
A deep fly ball by Elaina Maio (West Haven, Conn.) to centerfielder allowed both runners to score, giving Albertus a 2-1 lead.
RBI singles from Aimee Mirto (Hamden, Conn.) and Danielle Figueroa (Bridgeport, Conn.) plated two more Falcons to extend Albertus' lead to 4-1.
Freshman Danielle Thuerling (Wallingford, Conn.) threw seven innings for the Falcons as she improved to 3-2 on the year with the victory. Thuerling allowed five hits and one run on the night as she struck out six batters.
Simmons' Amanda Cordeiro (Fall River, Mass.) went 5.2 innings, while giving up four runs, all unearned, and five hits.
Albertus returns to action on Saturday as the Falcons host Saint Joseph's College of Maine in a GNAC double-header beginning at 4:30 p.m. The Sharks travel to Anna Maria on Saturday for a conference double-header at 1:00 p.m.