BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Danielle Carson (Ashland, Mass.) went 6-6 with two doubles, a triple and a home run, while first year Maddie Castigliego (Bristol, R.I.) hurled eight and two-thirds innings of two-hit ball to lead the Simmons University softball team to a double-header sweep over visiting Lasell College, winning the first contest, 11-0, in five innings, before taking the nightcap, 11-6, this evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play at Daly Field in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks have now won 12 of their last 16 and improve to 16-20 overall, including 10-2 in league play, while the Lasers fall to 6-28 and 2-10.
Simmons scored 22 runs on 23 hits, including 11 extra-base hits for the day.
Carson hit safely in all six plate appearances, hit for the cycle over the course of the two games and knocked in eight runs to go with three runs scored for the Sharks, while Castigliego hurled a complete-game victory as one of two victories on the day, while allowing just two hits for a .077 opponent batting mark. She also went 2-3 from the plate with two runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. First year third base Alex Morang (Windham, Maine) was 3-6 with a double, a triple, four RBI and two runs scored, while junior center fielder Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) was 3-6 with two runs batted in and a run scored. First year catcher Shannon McMahon (El Cajon, Calif.) cracked a pair of doubles in four at-bats and knocked in two runs, while scoring twice. First year shortstop Allie Mulhern (Westford, Mass.) scored five runs and singled and doubled.
Junior Arianna Genovese (Rocky Hill, Conn.) led Lasell on the day, going 3-6 with a double, two RBI and a pair of runs scored, while sophomore Hailey Haskins (Franklin, N.H.) was 2-4 with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored. Sophomore Alexis Truesdale (Wakefield, Mass.) was 2-3 with a walk and knocked in a pair of runs.
Simmons did all its scoring in game one in a span of three innings with a run in the second, two in the third and seven in the fourth. The Sharks got on the board in the bottom of the second when Mulhern reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and scampered home on a single up the middle off the bat of Carson to give Simmons a 1-0 edge.
The Sharks scored a pair of runs in the third with two outs when senior first base Dom Ortiz (Lawrence, Mass.) ripped a double down the left field line and scored on a single to the right center gap from sophomore second base Marissa Santoro (Franklin, Mass.). Santoro advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored when Castigliego followed with an RBI-single through the left side and Morang tripled to right field to plate Castigliego with the home team's fourth run of the game.
Simmons sent 12 batters to the plate and put the game away with a seven-run fourth. Carson sparked the inning with a shot to the right-center gap that she turned into her first collegiate home run, legging out an inside-the-park four-bagger. Santoro and Castigliego drove in a run each, later in the inning, with a double and single, respectively, before Morang plated two more runs with a two-run single to give the Sharks a 9-0 cushion. Carson capped the scoring for Simmons with a two-run single for her second hit of the frame and an 11-0 lead.
Sophomore Nicolette Genkos (Worcester, Mass.) collected the only hit of the game for the Lasers when she ripped a single off the glove of Castigliego and beat the throw at first for an infield single in the top of the second inning.
Castigliego (8-5) allowed just an infield single for the only base knock she allowed over five complete innings in addition to a pair of walks and four strikeouts for the Sharks. Sophomore starting pitcher Hannah Doherty (Hampton, N.H.) (2-10) suffered the defeat for the visitors, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks to go with a strikeout.
Lasell saw five straight batters reach with two outs, including four with hits as part of a three-run first inning in game two. Junior Victoria Spellman (Rocky Hill, Conn.) singled and scored ahead of a double to center off the bat of Genovese to give the Lasers the first run of the second contest. Haskins traded places with Genovese when she belted a double to center. Truesdale knocked in the final run of the inning for Lasell with a single to score Haskins.
Simmons answered with four runs in the second to take a 4-3 edge. Morang doubled and Mulhern followed with an RBI single, before Carson brought them both home with a triple to center to knot the score at 3-3. Carson scored the go-ahead run when Del Vacchio flied out to center field.
The Lasers came right back with a run in the top of the third to tie the score at 4-4 when Genovese singled to open the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly to right from Truesdale. Lasell tacked on two more runs in the fourth to reclaim the lead at 6-4 when Genovese and Haskins struck back-to-back two-out RBI singles to left to give the Lasers a two-run margin. The Sharks countered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good at 7-6. Carson crushed a two-out, run-scoring double to right center to give her the cycle for the day and came around to score on a single through the left side from Del Vacchio to tie the game at 6-6. Sophomore left fielder Ivy Vann (Bend, Ore.) followed with an RBI-single to center to give Simmons the lead.
The Sharks added four more runs in the fifth to take an 11-6 lead. Ortiz smacked a leadoff single up the middle to open the fifth and Santoro was hit by a pitch to set up a two-run double from McMahon, who later scored on a ground out. Mulhern later doubled and Carson matched her with a double of her own to score Mulhern with the final run of the night.
Castigliego picked up her second victory of the day after hurling three and a third innings of one-hit relief, while allowing a walk and striking out two batters to improve to 9-5 for Simmons. Haskins (4-11) was charged with the loss for Lasell after giving up nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits.
The Sharks return to action on Friday, April 26 when it travels to Northfield, Vt. to take on GNAC rival Norwich University for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch, while the Lasers head to New Haven, Conn. on the same day to play Albertus Magnus College at 3:00 p.m.