CLERMONT, Fla. – Junior second baseman Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) (three) and senior shortstop Mikaela Caracciolo (North Attleboro, Mass.) (two) combined for five hits to lead the Simmons College softball team in a 7-4 loss to University of Northwestern (Minn.) this evening at the Spring Games at Legends Way Field at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. The Eagles improve to 4-8 on the season, while the Sharks fall to 3-3. 

Northwestern took advantage of five Simmons errors, while rapping out 10 hits. 

Rastello was 3-4 to lead the Sharks at the plate, while Caracciolo was 2-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. 

First year righthander Tori Gomes (Taunton, Mass.) (1-2) suffered the loss for Simmons, allowing seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits and two walks, while fanning five batters. 

Junior center fielder Kaylee Forcier (Watkins, Minn.) went 3-4 with a run batted in, a double and two runs scored for the Eagles, while junior third baseman Ann Lokke (Saint Francis, Minn.) was 3-5. Junior shortstop Megan Threkheld (Burnsville, Minn.) knocked in three runs and singled in the contest for Northwestern. 

First year pitcher Meghan Schroeder (Big Lake, Minn.) earned the complete game victory, giving up four unearned runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out a batter. 

The Eagles capitalized on three Simmons miscues to score four runs in the top of the third to take a 7-1 advantage. Forcier keyed the inning with a run-scoring double, while Threkheld plated a run with a single. 

The Sharks put three runs on the board in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-4, but it was the last scoring output for either team for the rest of the night. Junior catcher Alison Gauvin (Whitefield, Maine) drew a walk and junior left fielder Emma D'Arpino (Johnston, R.I.) reached on an error to set up a run-scoring single to left field off the bat of Caracciolo. D'Arpino later scored on a wild pitch and Caracciolo raced home on first year third baseman Taylor LeBrun's (Milford, Mass.) second sacrifice fly of the contest to make it 7-4. 

Northwestern broke into the scoring column with a pair of runs in the first inning, including an RBI single from junior second baseman Colleen Feldheim (Northfield, Ill.) to give the Eagles a 2-0 margin. Simmons cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the frame. Caracciolo worked a leadoff walk, before Rastello reached on a bunt and LeBrun brought Caracciolo home with a sacrifice fly to center field. 

Northwestern added a run in the second when Forcier smacked a leadoff single to left, moved to second on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a single by Lokke and scored on a fielder's choice from Threkheld. 

The Sharks play Marywood College in Winter Garden, Fla. at Foundation Academy Field at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 11, while the Eagles play again tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. when they take on Cedar Crest College.