BOSTON, Mass. - The Simmons College softball team dropped the first game of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference double-header with Emmanuel College, 4-0, but rebounded to take the night cap, 5-2, this evening at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston, Mass. The Sharks are not 6-7 overall and 3-1 in league play, while the Saints are 10-4 and 5-1.
Sophomore starting pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) (6-1) hurled no-hit ball for six and two-thirds innings, before allowing a single in the seventh, but issued 14 walks, while striking out 12 to earn a complete game seven-inning shutout for Emmanuel in the opener. The Saints stranded 15 Simmons base runners in the game and snuffed out four bases loaded situations, including the final three innings of the game.
Junior shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) wasted no time in getting the only run Emmanuel would need with a solo homer to left center to lead off the bottom of the first inning.
The Sharks loaded the bases with one out in the second when sophomore right fielder Katie Nosky (Dedham, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk, sophomore third baseman Kat Guillotte (New Bedford, Mass.) was later hit by a pitch and senior left fielder Jen Field (Windham, Maine) drew a walk, but senior shortstop Hannah Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) lined into a double play at first base to end the frame.
The Saints tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth when first year third baseman Abbey Alexiades (Kingston, Mass.) reached on an error, before being lifted for first year pinch runner Brooke Ames (Boylston, Mass.). Following an out, sophomore first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) singled to put runners on the corners, before she stole second to later set up a two-run, two-out single off the bat of sophomore outfielder Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) to give the home team a 3-0 lead.
Simmons put three runners on in the fifth, courtesy of bases on balls issued to junior second baseman Mikaela Caracciolo (North Attleboro, Mass.), senior starting pitcher Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) and junior center fielder Heather White (Westfield, Mass.). Kilcoyne escaped the threat for Emmanuel by inducing a 1-2-3 double play with a come-backer to the circle. The Saints added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame when Davis singled and came around to score on a two-out single up the middle from Alexiades to make it 4-0.
Guillotte, Cunningham and Caracciolo all walked to load the bases for the Sharks in the sixth, but a fly out ended the inning. Simmons looked to rally again in the seventh after Backhaus drew a leadoff walk and two outs later, first year Juliet Nelson (Cumberland, R.I.) broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle, before Guillotte walked to load the bases. Kilcoyne ended the frame with a strike out for Emmanuel.
Backhaus (4-2) suffered the loss for Simmons, yielding four runs (two earned) on seven hits and no walks, while fanning five batters.
Davis and Walsh each rapped out two hits to lead the Saints.
The teams were tied in game two, 2-2, through five innings of play, before sophomore right fielder Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out to set up the go-ahead RBI single from Caracciolo to give the Sharks a 3-2 edge. Simmons rallied for a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Nelson singled and Backhaus drew a walk, before moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, before scoring on a two-out pinch-hit single off the bat of senior Jess Uschmann (Feeding Hills, Mass.) to give the Sharks a 5-2 margin.
Simmons got on the board first in game two after sophomore designated player Janyne Sierra (Everett, Mass.) reached on an error and later scored on a Rastello single to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Sharks added a run in the third when White socked a leadoff home run for a 2-0 margin.
Emmanuel cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third when Alexiades singled, Ames pinch ran and later stole third, before scoring on the front end of a double steal. The Saints knotted the score in the fifth when Davis reached on a fielder's choice and was plated by an Alexiades single to right field.
The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, due to darkness.
Nelson (2-2) earned the victory for Simmons, allowing two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, while striking out three in six and two-thirds innings. Emmanuel's Adams (3-3) was saddled with the defeat after giving up three runs on four hits and six walks to go with a strike out in four innings of work.
The Sharks saw eight different players collect a hit on the night, while Uschmann (two), White (one) and Caracciolo (one) all batted in at least a run. Junior second baseman Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) and Alexiades each picked up a pair of hits to lead the Saints.
Simmons returns to action on Friday, April 3 when it travels to Newton, Mass. to take on GNAC foe Mount Ida College at 3:00 p.m. for a twinbill, while Emmanuel heads to Providence on April 4 for a league double-header at Johnson & Wales University at 12:00 p.m.