BRIGHTON, Mass. – Sophomore right-hander Piper Kinney retired a career single-game high 13 Monks as Simmons softball (5-14, 1-1 GNAC) split Sunday afternoon's doubleheader with Saint Joseph's College of Maine (2-12, 1-1 GNAC) to begin conference play.

GAME 1: Simmons 7, Saint Joseph's College of Maine 1

Kinney had all her pitches working for her to begin the day. The Monks were unable to touch the Marlborough, Massachusetts native as she retired six of the first eight batters she faced. Offensively, the bats came alive putting up a three-spot in the home half of the frame.

Kinney helped her own caused working a one-out walk before advancing 60 feet on a base-hit through the left-side by sophomore Emma Soule. After senior Jordyn Rubin walked to load the bases, junior Leah Berdeen came through in the clutch, driving home a pair of runs. Sophomore Teagan Buckley kept the momentum going with lifting a sacrifice fly to centerfielder to plate Rubin with the third run of the inning.

It was plenty of run support for Kinney, who kept the Monks off balance the entire game. The Monks managed to evade the shutout forcing a run across in the top of the third.

The Sharks added to their lead scoring two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. With runners on first and second and no outs, sophomore Emily Deleault lined a single into centerfield to bring home pinch-runner April Beatty. Moments later, junior Raya Anderson pulled single into left field to plate sophomore Trinity Payne and extend the lead to 5-1.

Simmons scored twice more with a run in both in the fifth and sixth innings. In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Ally Hyde made it a 7-1 game ripping an opposite field single into left ifeld to bring home Berdeen.

GAME 2: Saint Joseph's College of Maine 6, Simmons 0

The Monks' gave left-hander Lydia Goodnough an early lead at the start of game two, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. Goodnough held off the Sharks bats, retiring 10 of the first 11 batters she faced before giving up a base-hit to Soule in the home half of the fourth.

After SJC extended their lead to 3-0 scoring a pair of runs in the top of the third, the Sharks were threatening to score in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded, but were unable to push across a run.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore right-hander Piper Kinney eclipsed her career single-game high striking out 13 Monks, while walking one. At the plate, Kinney walked three times to ignite the Sharks offense.  
• Sophomore Ally Hyde went 3-for-6 with a walk and an RBI on the day.
• Sophomore Teagan Buckley also went 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored.
• Junior Raya Anderson went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI in game one.

UP NEXT
Simmons returns to the diamond on Wednesday, April 10 with a non-conference game at No. 22 MIT. First pitch at 3 p.m.