Johnson & Wales Wins Three Straight on Sunday to Capture GNAC Softball Championship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications

EAST BOSTON, Mass. – The Johnson & Wales softball team won their first ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship on Sunday afternoon by defeating Albertus Magnus in back-to-back games at American Legion Playground in East Boston, Mass. The Wildcats were winners of three must-win games on Sunday and forced previously undefeated Albertus Magnus College into a decisive game two, which JWU won 4-3. The Wildcats defeated Saint Joseph's College of Maine, 4-2, before blanking the Falcons in the first game of the finals, 6-0. 

With the win, their sixth of the tournament and fifth in the past three days, the Wildcats earn the conference's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.

In the first game of the day, the Wildcats trailed 1-0 after St. Joseph's scored in the top of the first inning. Cynthia Proby (Bremerton, Wash.) stroked a one-out single to left and scored on a double down the left field line by fellow juniorKristen Solari (Old Bridge, N.J.). Solari and sophomore Emily Gorecki (Bremerton, Wash.) crossed the plate as the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the third. 

The Monks answered with an unearned run in the fourth before Solari scored the final run of the game in the fifth after she singled and later scored on an Emily Schaper (Pompton Lakes, N.J.) triple to left field. 

Freshman Jennifer Corona (Middle Island, N.Y.) won her fourth game in the postseason tournament with a complete game, six strikeout performance. She allowed just four hits and only one earned run.

The win sent the Wildcats to their first GNAC Championship finals appearance in program history.

In championship game one, both lineups were silent thru five innings and only one base runner advanced beyond second base.

JWU grabbed the first run of the game when freshman Eileen Eads (Portsmouth, R.I.) walked to lead off the sixth. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an errant throw across the diamond from first to third to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, sophomore Natalie Kehlbeck (Weymouth, Mass.) slapped a pinch hit double to right to begin what would soon be a five run rally. Five straight singles later, the Wildcats took a 6-0 lead and never looked back.

Corona went the distance once more surrendering just two hits and striking out three. She forced the Falcons into 14 groundouts in the win

Albertus Magnus used four hits off Corona in the first two innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead in game number two. Freshman Gillian Fortier singled and came around to score on a single by left fielder Alyssa Puccilli in the home half of the first.

Megan Kelly doubled to right center to lead off the second inning. She advanced to third on a bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brittney Urciuoli.

JWU freshman Alex Fantasia (Framingham, Mass.) struck a two-out single up the middle in the top of the fifth inning and advanced to second on a double to right by Eads. A wild pitch would advance both runners and cut the Wildcats deficit in half, 2-1.

Solari led off the sixth with a single to left center. Her replacement on the basepaths, sophomore Rebecca Manchester (Rehoboth, Mass.), scored the tying run on a fielder's choice then errant throw by the second baseman off the bat of Diana Amendolara (Newtown, Pa.). The visiting Wildcats would tack on the go-ahead run and game-winning run after Kaycee Babineau (Medway, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases then relief pitcher Noelle Weiss (Hartland, Wisc.) drew a walk and Fantasia sent a sacrifice fly to center to give JWU a 4-2 advantage.

Albertus sliced into the JWU lead with an RBI double by Fortier to right center in the bottom of the sixth but Weiss slammed the door shut, forcing the next batter to fly out to center.

In the bottom of the seventh, Melissa Castillo led off with a single for the Falcons and her pinch-runner advanced to second on a ground out to sure-handed second basemenAngelica Reyes (Arleta, Calif.). Weiss earned the final two outs on her own with a strike out and ground out back to the circle to claim the 4-3 victory and GNAC crown. 

Solari batted 6-for-10 on the day while picking up two runs and two RBI. Corona threw 16 and two thirds innings on the day and allowed just three earned runs. She struck out nine batters overall and gave up just 11 hits.

The GNAC announced an All-Tournament Team and Most Valuable Player following the conclusion of the championship game.

Emmanuel College's Catherine Davis and Jill Kilcoyne earned spots, while Saint Joseph's Theresa Hendrix and Melissa Mayhew were named. Kelly, Megan Ferraro and Brianna Whitfield all got the nod for Albertus Magnus, while Solari, Schaper and Gorecki were chosen for Johnson & Wales. Corona, who went 5-1 in the postseason and started all seven games, was named the Tournament MVP for the Wildcats.

Johnson & Wales improves to 21-14 for the year while St. Joseph's fell to 27-13 and Albertus Magnus moved to 24-13 on the season.  The Wildcats will await the 2015 NCAA Division III Softball selection show to find out their opponent in the first game of the NCAA tournament.

First Round - Tuesday, April 21 (single elimination) | RECAP
Game 1: #5 Johnson & Wales 10, #8 Mount Ida 0 | BOX
Game 2: #6 Emmanuel 1, #7 Saint Joseph (Conn.) 0 | BOX

Second Round - Friday, April 24 (double elimination begins)
Game 3: #5 Johnson & Wales 9, #4 Simmons 3 | BOX
Game 4: #6 Emmanuel 8, #3 Saint Joseph's Maine 3 | BOX
Game 5: #5 Johnson & Wales 13, #1 Suffolk 0 | BOX
Game 6: #2 Albertus Magnus 8, #6 Emmanuel 6 | BOX

Saturday & Sunday contests played at American Legion Playground Field, East Boston, Mass.

Semifinals - Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by Suffolk)
Game 7: #3 Saint Joseph's Maine 4, #1 Suffolk 0 (Suffolk eliminated) | BOX
Game 8: #6 Emmanuel 1, #4 Simmons 0 (Simmons eliminated) | BOX
Game 9: #2 Albertus Magnus 9, #5 Johnson & Wales 0 | BOX
Game 10: #3 Saint Joseph's Maine 6, #6 Emmanuel 0 (Emmanuel eliminated) | BOX

Championship - Sunday, April 26 (Hosted by Suffolk)
Game 11: #5 Johnson & Wales 4, #3 Saint Joseph's Maine 2 (Saint Joseph's eliminated) | BOX
Game 12: #5 Johnson & Wales 6, #2 Albertus Magnus 0 | BOX
Game 13: #5 Johnson & Wales 4, #2 Albertus Magnus 3 | BOX

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