BRIGHTON, Mass. – Sophomore right-hander Ally Hyde picked up her first victory of the year as Simmons softball (4-11) split Wednesday afternoon's doubleheader with Eastern Nazarene College (5-9).

Making her fifth start of the season, Hyde ran into some trouble at the start of game two, giving up a leadoff double that came in to score on an error. The Lions were threatening to add to their lead with runners at the corners and no outs, but Hyde retired the next two batters on strikes before getting Caoime Wernsing to pop out to second.

The Sharks offense went to work in the bottom of the frame. Junior centerfielder Raya Anderson lined a 3-2 double into left field then advanced 60 feet on a basehit up the middle by Teagan Buckley. Two batters later, Hyde helped her own cause with an opposite field single into left field to plate Anderson and make it a 1-0 ballgame.

Simmons was not done offensively. Junior Leah Berdeen roped a double into left centerfield to bring home both Hyde and Buckley to put the Sharks up three. They were looking to score more with the bases loaded following a walk to Trinity Payne and single off the bat of Emily Deleault, but sophomore Emery Kreidel-Reimer flew out to left to end the inning.

Hyde faced another pressure situation in the top of the second, but the Sharks defense came up big. With the bases loaded and one out, the tandem of Payne and Berdeen cut down Ashley Caldwell at the plate for the second out. Moments later, Hyde retired Leah Saunder on strikes to end the threat and kept the Lions at bay and off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. 

The Sharks added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Sending eight batters to the plate Simmons pushed across four runs to break the game open and extend their lead to 7-1.

Deleault opened the inning with a double into left field. After a walk to Kreidel-Reimer and an infield single by Anderson, the Sharks had the bases loaded and zeros outs. Sophomore Piper Kinney came through with an opposite field single to right fielder to plate Deleault. Buckley kept the inning going with a base hit through the left field to make it a 5-1 ball game. Two batters later, Hyde placed a two-run double down the left field line to plate both Buckley and Kinney and extend their lead to six. 

With the rain coming down, the Sharks sealed the win an inning later. With runners on first and second and only one out, Anderson loaded the bases beating out a bunt single. Kinney forced in the Sharks' eighth run with a hit by pitch, before Buckley ended it with a sacrifice fly to straightaway center to plate Kreidel-Reimer.

Game 1: Eastern Nazarene 3, Simmons 0

Kinney pitched masterfully in the first game of the day, retiring 16 of the first 17 batters she faced. But Lions starter Abby Stansbury was equal success against the Sharks offense. The Lions manage to break up the stalemate pushing across a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth, then added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.

However, the Sharks were not going away quietly and threatened to force extra frames with back-to-back one out base hits by Hyde and sophomore Emma Soule. But it was not enough.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Ally Hyde earned her first win of the season, tossing five complete innings in game two, while allowing just one run on three hits and striking out five.
• Hyde helped her own cause at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in game two. She finished the day, going 3-for-6.
• Junior Raya Anderson went 4-for-7 on the evening with a run scored and a stolen base.
• Senior rightfielder Jordyn Rubin made a sliding catch in game one, then doubled off Leah Saunder in the fifth inning of game two, trying to advance to third. 
• Sophomore right-hander Piper Kinney fanned eight opposing batters in game one for the third time this season.
• Sophomore Teagan Buckley went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in game two.

UP NEXT
Simmons returns to the diamond on Sunday, March 25 when they travel to Connecticut to face the University of Hartford for two. First pitch at noon.