BOSTON, Mass. – Bridget Garach (West Hartford, Conn.) picked up her first collegiate win and knocked in two runs to help the Simmons College softball team to a 9-3 victory over visiting Anna Maria College in game one of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader. The AMCATS earned a 9-0 win in the nightcap over the Sharks. Simmons is now 8-11 overall, including 3-3 in league play, while Anna Maria is now 3-13 and 1-5.
Garach was 3-5 on the day with a triple, two runs batted in and a run scored for the Sharks, while first year second baseman Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) went 4-6 with a triple and two runs scored. Senior catcher Alison Gauvin (Whitefield, Maine)collected three hits and first year center fielder Molly Hennessey (Charlton, Mass.)knocked in four runs.
Senior Kaitlyn Moran (Leicester, Mass.) tossed a six-inning shutout in the second game, whilejunior left fielder Amanda Lemire (Methuen, Mass.) was 4-8 with three runs and a run batted in on the day for the AMCATS, while sophomore third baseman Sabrina Carreira (West Hartford, Conn.) belted out three hits, including a double.
Anna Maria scored the first two runs of the first game in the top of the initial frame, but Garach drove in a run in the bottom of the inning for Simmons to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. The AMCATS tacked on a run in the fourth with two outs when Moran doubled to center and came around to score on a single down the left field line by junior designated player Hannah Trudo (Pomfret, Center, Conn.) to make it 3-1.
Simmons took a 4-3 lead with three runs in the fourth, keyed by a run-scoring single from sophomore first baseman Alexandra Moleski (Bridgeport, Conn.) and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Garach. Sophomore designated player Michaela Reeves (Reading, Mass.)singled home the team's fifth run, before Hennessey broke the game open with a bases-loaded triple to give the Sharks an 8-3 advantage in the fifth inning. Garach tripled to open the sixth and came around to score when Gauvin came through with a two-out single up the middle to increase the cushion to 9-3.
Garach earned her first collegiate victory for Simmons, allowing a run on five hits and a walk, while striking out seven in six and a third innings of relief. Senior Alexis Romano (Lowell, Mass.) (1-6) suffered the loss, giving up nine runs (four earned) on 15 hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts for the AMCATS.
Moran (1-1) hurled six complete innings, allowing just four hits and a walk to go with a strikeout for Anna Maria in a win that was halted after six frames, due to the eight-run mercy rule.
The AMCATS scored two runs in the top of the third, which was more than enough for the victory. Anna Maria plated another run in the fourth when Moran smacked a leadoff triple to right field and came around to score on a ground out for a 3-0 lead. The AMCATS put the game away, scoring six times in the sixth after sending 10 batters to the plate. The inning was fueled by a two-run triple off the bat of sophomore right fielder Sarah Coley (Worcester, Mass.), followed by an RBI single from junior center fielder Jacqueline Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.) and a two-run double off the bat of sophomore shortstop Victoria Falco (Marlborough, Mass.) to give Anna Maria a 9-0 advantage. The Sharks were unable to score in the bottom of the frame to prevent the game from being halted prematurely.
Del Vacchio led Simmons with two hits in three at-bats and sophomore pitcher Tori Gomes (Taunton, Mass.) (1-6) yielded nine runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk in five and two-thirds innings of play, while Lemire collected three hits and Falco drove in three runs to lead the AMCATS.
The Sharks return to the diamond tomorrow when they host GNAC foe Norwich University in a twinbill at 1:00 p.m., while Anna Maria travels to Standish, Maine tomorrow to take on Saint Joseph's College at 2:00 p.m.
