BRIGHTON, Mass. – Simmons softball (24-11-1, 14-2 GNAC) closed out the regular season with a sweep of Rivier University (12-24, 5-11 GNAC), Saturday afternoon. In game one of the twin-bill, senior right-hander Maddie Castigliego no-hit the Raiders as she struck out nine opposing batters in five innings.   

GAME 1: Simmons 8, Rivier 0

By the time Castigliego toed the rubber in the top of the second, the Simmons bats had given her a two-run lead in the home half of the first. Sophomore Jordyn Rubin ripped a two-out triple to bring home senior Alex Morang. Moments later fellow senior Shannon McMahon laced an opposite field triple down the right field line to bring home Rubin. 

Castigliego was efficient in her pitches. Despite giving up a leadoff walk into the top of the second, the Rhode Island native retired 12 of the next 13 batters she faced – including seven by way of the strikeout.

The Shark bats remained red-hot, batting around in the bottom of the third to put up a crooked number five to take a 7-0 lead. An inning later, senior left fielder Christie Bott ripped a single back where it came from to plate senior shortstop Allie Mulhern with the game's eighth run.

GAME 2: Simmons 9, Rivier 1

Castigliego was able to get out of a bases loaded jam unscathed with a pair of strikeouts to end the top half of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Mulhern gave her fellow classmate a quick lead to work with launching her fifth homerun of the season to straight away center.  

Two batters later following a Bott double into the left centerfield gap, McMahon reached on a hit-by-pitch. With runners at the corners, the Simmons was aggressive on the base paths. When McMahon attempted to steal second, she stayed in the run-down long enough for Bott to cross with the second run and a 2-0 lead into the second inning.

Rivier cut the deficit in the half, getting to Castigliego for a run, but the Sharks responded an inning later. Morang opened the bottom of the third with a base-hit through the left side, then came into score on a triple to left field off the bat of Mulhern. Moments later Bott, brought in Mulhern with a single to left field. Fellow senior Emma Thacher concluded the scoring with a two-out single to plate McMahon and take a 5-1 lead.

The Sharks added another two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Morang began the inning registering her 100^th career hit lining a single back where it came from. Following bunt single by Mulhern, the Sharks were threatening with runners in scoring position and one out when Rubin cleared the bases with a double into center field to take a 7-1 lead. Simmons added another two runs in the bottom of the fifth to seal the game for the Sharks.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Seniors Allie Mulhern and Alex Morang both recorded their 100^th career base-hits – Mulhern reached on bunt single in the top of the third in game one; Morang opened the top of the fourth of game two with a base-hit into centerfield.
• Mulhern came a double shy of hitting for the cycle in game two, where she went 3-for-3 with a triple and a homerun. Overall on the day she went five-for-six with two RBI and two runs scored.
• Senior right-hander Maddie Castigliego recorded her second career no-hitter in game one as she retired nine Raiders over the course of five innings. She finished the day registering 13 strikeouts in 10 innings of work, while scattering five hits.

UP NEXT
Simmons claims the two-seed in the GNAC post-season tournament and earns a first-round bye. They will play the winner of No. 3 Saint Joseph's – No. 4 Rivier game on Thursday May 5 at Clemente Field in Boston at 4 p.m.