PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Simmons College softball team split a double header with the Johnson & Wales Wildcats in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action on Saturday at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex. The Wildcats lost game one by a score of 3-2 before rebounding for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.

Game one saw the Wildcats jump out to an early lead when Rebecca Manchester (Rehoboth, Mass.) drove in Cynthia Proby (Bremerton, Wash.) on a ground out to short. The Wildcats added to their lead in the third when Kristen Solari (Old Bridge, N.J.) drove in senior Tayla Gardner (Orangeburg, N.Y.) to push the score to 2-0. Senior Taylor Cwalinski (Jackson, N.J) held the lead until the fifth when the Sharks finally broke through, cutting the lead in half. Scoring again in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, the Sharks held on for the victory with Danielle LeBlanc (Templeton, Mass.) coming in for the save. Cwalinski went six and a third innings for JWU in the loss, recording eight strikeouts to push her season total to 69.

In the nightcap, JWU gave up two runs in the top of the third inning, but respond quickly with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame.  The scoring was capped by a two-run single by Solari, driving in both Cwalinski and Gardner to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Junior Amanda Cordiero (Fall River, Mass.) moved to 2-2 with the loss, giving up three hits, three runs and three walks. Gardner went the distance for the Wildcats, allowing two runs while striking out 11 along the way. The win gave Gardner a GNAC-best sixth win of the season.