BOSTON, Mass. – Senior shortstop Mikaela Caracciolo (North Attleboro, Mass.) went 4-6 with five runs batted in to lead the Simmons College softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Wentworth Institute of Technology this afternoon, winning the first game, 7-2, before taking the nightcap in five innings by a count of 13-2 at Carr Diamond in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 6-5 on the season, while the Leopards fall to 4-9. It was the first meeting between the schools from the Colleges of the Fenway since a 5-3 Simmons win on March 18, 2006.
Caracciolo also scored three times, tripled and drew a pair of walks on the day for Simmons.
The Sharks took the first game, 6-2, keyed by 10 hits, including four extra-base knocks.
Caracciolo led the way for Simmons with a pair of hits, including a three-run triple, while first year starting pitcher Michaela Reeves (Reading, Mass.) also collected two hits, including a double and scored a run as well.
Reeves (3-3) earned the victory allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out one for the visitors in four innings. Sophomore reliever Cat Record (Cotuit, Mass.) earned her first career save, hurling three innings of one-hit ball in addition to issuing a walk and fanning a batter.
Senior third baseman Karsyn Sawyer (Chatham, N.Y.) paced Wentworth, going 2-2 with a walk, a run batted in and a run scored, while first year right fielder Hayley Rutkey (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) knocked in a run with a double. First year hurler Erica Norquist (Rutland, Mass.) (3-5) suffered the loss for the Leopards giving up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks, while setting down two batters on strikes in seven complete innings.
The Sharks erased a 2-0 deficit with a four-run second to take a 4-2 lead. Reeves smacked a one-out double to the right field gap and later scored on a run-scoring single to left off the bat of junior first baseman Alison Gauvin (Whitefield, Maine). Junior left fielder Emma D'Arpino (Johnston, R.I.) reached on an infield single to load the bases. Caracciolo gave the visitors the lead with a three-run triple to right center field to score Gauvin, D'Arpino and junior right fielder MacKenzie Hayman (Veazie, Maine), who had reached on a bunt single.
Simmons added two more runs in the fourth. Junior second baseman Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) reached base on a fielder's choice and came around to score on first year catcher Taylor LeBrun's (Milford, Mass.) first collegiate home run on a blast to center field to give the Sharks a 6-2 margin. Simmons increased its lead to 7-2 in the top of the seventh when senior center fielder Heather White (Westfield, Mass.) singled to center and came around to score on a two-out double to the right field fence from first year third baseman Dominique Ortiz (Lawrence, Mass.).
Wentworth opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with two runs on three hits and a pair of visitor errors. Senior left fielder Heather Pinkston (Concord, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice, advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single off the bat of Sawyer. The Leopards tacked on another run when Rutkey launched a double just over the reach of the Sharks' right fielder to score Sawyer and give the home team a 2-0 lead.
Simmons took advantage of 10 walks and three Wentworth errors to score 13 times in the second contest to come away with the victory.
Caracciolo and Rastello were both 2-3 with three runs scored, two RBI and a walk apiece to lead the Sharks, while D'Arpino was 1-2 with two runs batted in and a run scored. LeBrun also drove in a run with a triple.
First year starting pitcher Tori Gomes (Taunton, Mass.) (3-2) picked up the victory for Simmons, yielding two runs on three hits and four walks to go with a strikeout in four innings of work.
Sophomore shortstop Megan Berryman (Middleboro, Mass.) was 1-3 with an RBI to lead the Leopards, while first year designated player Kathleen Dunn (Hull, Mass.) and sophomore catcher Rachel Willcutt (Tilton, N.H.) each had a single as well. Rutkey (1-4) was saddled with the loss giving up 13 runs (nine earned) on six hits and 10 walks.
Caracciolo led off the game with a single and Rastello followed with a bases on balls, before both scored on a dropped fly ball in left field. The Sharks broke the contest open with eight runs in the second to take a 10-0 lead. A two-run single by D'Arpino coupled with RBI singles by Caracciolo and Rastello highlighted the frame for Simmons.
Wentworth got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the second to cut the margin to 10-2. First year first baseman Libby White (Pittsfield, Mass.) drew a one-out walk and later scored when Pinkston reached on a fielder's choice. Pinkston was plated on a single to center from Berryman, but that would be the final run of the night for the Leopards.
The top of the order produced two more runs for the Sharks in the third. Caracciolo worked a leadoff walk and scored on a Rastello double to left center, before LeBrun knocked in Rastello with a triple down the left field line to give Simmons a 12-2 advantage. The Sharks added another run in the fourth when Hayman, Gauvin and senior pinch hitter Amy Maher (Milton, Mass.) all drew walks to begin the frame and load the bases. Caracciolo reached on a fielder's choice and Hayman scored the 13th run for the Sharks.
Simmons returns to action on Wednesday, April 6 when it opens the Great Northeast Athletic Conference slate with a twinbill in Newton, Mass. at Lasell College at 3:00 p.m. Wentworth plays again on April 2 when it heads to Milton, Mass. to take on Curry College for a 1:00 p.m. Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader.
