PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Simmons College softball team was swept by host Johnson & Wales University, falling in the opening game, 11-0, and the second contest, 6-0, this afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex in Providence, R.I. The Sharks fall to 15-15 overall and 9-7 in league play, while the Wildcats win their fourth straight to improve to 21-10 and 18-2.
Johnson & Wales pitching allowed just one hit on the afternoon with senior right-handed hurler Jennifer Corona (Middle Island, N.Y.) tossing a no-hitter in five complete innings to open the doubleheader.
First year first base Hailey Yabroudy (Amherst, N.H.) registered the only hit for Simmons with a single in the day's second contest. Sophomore second base Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) and classmate Molly Hennessey (Charlton, Mass.) each drew a walk in the opening game for the Sharks.
Kristin Frost (Pearl City, Hawaii) led the Wildcats' offense, going 4-5 with five runs batted in and a pair of runs scored, while smacking a double and a home run. Corona contributed at the plate as well with two doubles, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored, while junior Brenna DuPerry (Cranston, R.I.) was 3-7 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Johnson & Wales did all of its scoring in two innings in game one with three runs in the third and eight in the fourth. The Wildcats manufactured two of the third-inning scores with a run-scoring ground out from junior Meghan Gavin (Wallingford, Conn.) and a sacrifice fly from Frost, before scoring their third run with the benefit of a Simmons error. DuPerry keyed the eight-run fourth with a two-run single, while Frost, senior Katie Rufo (Natick, Mass.) and junior Tiffani Semanchik (Flemington, N.J.) all produced with an RBI single each. Corona plated a run with a double and junior Ally Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.) knocked in the final run of the opening contest with the team's second sacrifice fly to make it 11-0. The game was halted after five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Corona (10-6) allowed just two baserunners, issuing just two walks, while striking out six for Johnson & Wales. Senior righty Juliet Nelson (Cumberland, R.I.) (10-6) suffered the loss for Simmons, allowing 11 runs (seven earned) on nine hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts.
The Wildcats got on board in game two with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Corona cracked a one-out double and Semanchik followed with a double of her own to bring home Corona, before taking third on a wild pitch and scoring on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Mishol to make it 2-0.
Corona increased the home team's lead to 3-0 with a solo home run to lead off the fourth for Johnson & Wales. The Wildcats added three more runs with the long ball in the fifth when DuPerry and Gavin each singled to open the frame, before Frost blasted a three-run homer to give Johnson & Wales a 6-0 lead for the final runs of the afternoon.
On the pitching side, Frost carried a perfect game into the fifth inning for the Wildcats and retired the leadoff batter to set down the first 13 batters she faced. Her first blemish came when sophomore designated player Alex Soqui (Acushnet, Mass.) reached on an error for the first Sharks' baserunner of the nightcap. Yabroudy registered the visitor's first hit when she struck a ball through the right side that hit Soqui, resulting in a single for Yabroudy and Soqui out on the basepaths. Frost induced a groundout from the next batter and set down the final six hitters in order to record the shutout. She stuck out seven and improved to a perfect 7-0. Junior left-hander Michaela Reeves (Reading, Mass.) (1-2) took the loss for Simmons, giving up six runs on eight hits and fanned four batters.
The Sharks return to action tomorrow when they head to New Haven, Conn. to take on University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in a GNAC doubleheader played on the campus of Albertus Magnus College at 12:00 p.m., while Johnson & Wales travels to Northfield, Vt. to play Norwich University at 1:00 p.m.