BOSTON – Senior right-hander Maddie Castigliego tossed a complete-game one-hit shutout to power Simmons softball (25-11-1) to a 6-0 win over the fourth-seed Saint Joseph's College of Maine in game one of the 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Thursday afternoon.

Game 1: Simmons 6, Saint Joseph's College of Maine 0

The Sharks jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first which proved to be more than enough for Castigliego. Sophomore Jordyn Rubin drove in the first run of the afternoon with an RBI double and came around to make it 2-0 later in the inning on a throwing error. Simmons third run was also the result of a Saint Joseph's miscue to account for the three-run lead through one inning of play. 

In the bottom of the third, Simmons added two more runs to bump the lead to 5-0 as grad student Christie Bott delivered an RBI single the opposite way to make it 4-0. Bott came around to score in the middle of a run-down, crossing home before the final out of the frame to account for the 5-0 score after three. 

Castigliego flirted with perfection, retiring the first 15 batters she faced until first-year Syliva Foley found a hole in left centerfield for a double to lead off the sixth for the Monks but the senior would strand the runner at second to keep the score at 5-0. 

Simmons plated its final run of the game in the sixth on a solo home run to center by senior catcher Shannon McMahon, her fourth of the year, to account for the 6-0 final. 

Game 2: Emmanuel 2, Simmons 1 – 10 innings.

The shutout win in first game of game of the day moved the Sharks forward to the number one seed in the North Division, Emmanuel College (25-10) later that evening.

Emmanuel was quick to score in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a pair of lead-off singles. But Castigliego settled down and got out of one-out, two runners in scoring position jam, getting Renae Lacroiz and Jadynne Hill to pop out third base. 

Saints junior right-hander Tianna Dawe was in control for a majority of the game, keeping the Sharks off the scoreboard throughout the first five innings. It wasn't until the top of the sixth when Allie Mulhern kept her 23-game hitting alive with an opposite field homerun to right center to tie the ballgame at 1-1. 

The Saints threatened to score in the bottom of the sixth, putting the first two runners on, but Castigliego thwarted the threat getting Lacroix to foul out to Alex Morang at third base. Simmons had an opportunity to go ahead in the top of the seventh. Junior Sam Barr lined an opposite field single into right, but was retired on an inning ending double-play.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior right-hander Maddie Castigliego tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts in a 6-0 shutout of Saint Joseph's College of Maine in game one. Additionally, she took a perfect game into the sixth, before giving up a base hit.
• Senior shortstop Allie Mulhern extended her hitting streak to 24 games, which included hitting the game-tying homerun in the Sharks second game of the day against Emmanuel.
• Senior catcher Shannon McMahon went three-for-three at the plate with a solo homerun and two runs scored.
• Senior Alex Morang was played an outstanding defense at the hot corner, ending numerous offensive threats, registering four putouts against Emmanuel.

UP NEXT
The loss to Emmanuel moves Simmons into the loser's bracket, and will need a win against the University of St. Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday, May 7 to keep their season alive. First pitch is at noon at Clemente Field.