NEWTON, Mass. -- Simmons Softball ended their regular season this afternoon with a sweep of the Rivier University Raiders, 11-3 in game one and 12-4 in game two at Lasell College. The Sharks move to 24-8 overall and 17-5 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The Raiders fall to 9-25 overall and 3-19 in the GNAC.
Game One: Simmons 11, Rivier 3
The Sharks found their bats early as the hosts scored six runs on six hits in the bottom of the first inning. Hannah Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) led off with a single and then scored off a double to left center by Mikaela Caracciolo (North Attleboro, Mass.). Heather White (Westfield, Mass.) reached first on an error and then stole second before Alaina DeNoncour (Johnston, R.I.) singled up the middle and picked up an RBI as Caracciolo crossed home plate.
Simmons pitcher Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) singled to advance DeNoncour and designated player Jess Uschmann (Feeding Hills, Mass.) hit an RBI single up the middle to advance all runners. Christina Mulcahy (Cambridge, Mass.) followed suit with a single and picked up two RBIs as DeNoncour and Backhaus scored. Mulcahy was thrown out at second for the second out before Uschmann scored on a pass ball for the Sharks sixth run.
The Raiders got the scoreboard in the top of the second as Nicole Scotti led off with a double to left center. Kathryn Mostone singled up the middle to score Scotti but the Sharks made the next two outs to maintain a five run lead. Rivier scored two runs in the top of the third as Destiny Jordan doubled to right to score Nicole Peacock and Shaylyn Freitas scored on a Sharks error cut the lead in half.
The Sharks put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the third before Jen Field (Windham, Maine) out ran a bunt to load the bases. H. Cunningham reached on a fielder's choice but the Raiders got the lead runner at home to keep the game at 6-3. Caracciolo continued her offensive streak with a single up the middle for 2 RBIs and Emily Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) singled to score Cunningham from second.
Mulcahy hit a hard single up the middle to start the bottom of the fifth and then scored on a single by H. Cunningham. In the top of the sixth, the Raiders put up three hits and loaded the bases with just one out. But Backhaus struck out one and forced a groundout by Freitas to end the inning with three left on base.
Uschmann picked up her third hit of the day in the bottom of the sixth to score Tanya Stasio (Revere, Mass.) to give the Sharks an eight run lead and the game. Backhaus finished with six strikeouts and gave up three hits and one walk in six innings of work. Libby Sammon took the loss for the Raiders.
Game Two: Simmons 12, Rivier 4
The Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the first as Peacock led off with a single through the right side and then stole second. Freitas walked but was then caught stealing second as Peacock came around third to score.
Simmons put up an eight-run first inning, as H. Cunningham reached on an error and then scored as Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) singled to left. Emily Cunningham tripled to right field and DeNoncour reached on an error, which scored E. Cunningham. First year Emma D'Arpino (Johnston, R.I.) hit an RBI single and Mulcahy singled to score Kat Guillotte (New Bedford, Mass.) but an error by the Raiders allowed D'Arpino to round third for the Sharks sixth run of the inning. Mulcahy scored when Field hit an infield single and Rastello came up to bat for the second time in the inning with a huge double to left to score Victoria Luongo (Medford, Mass.).
Rivier added three runs in the top of the second as Mostone scored on a single by Peacock and Freitas doubled to centerfield for two RBIs. In the bottom half of the inning, the Sharks added two more as D'Arpino and Guillotte both scored on a pass ball for a 10-4 lead.
The Raiders had a chance in the top of the third as Scotti led off with a single and Kirstie Clark hit a rocket toward left field but Hannah Cunningham left the ground for a diving catch for the out. After a scoreless third and fourth, the Sharks added one in the fifth and one in the sixth complete the sweep, 12-4.
Danielle LeBlanc takes the win for the Sharks, while Libby Sammon is credited with the loss.
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament bracket will be released on Monday and the tournament begins Tuesday afternoon.