SOFTBALL: Suffolk, JWU Both Victorious as GNAC Tournament Double-Elimination Gets Underway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

#4 Saint Joseph's Maine 7, #5 Albertus Magnus 3 (at #1 Suffolk)
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team fell short against Saint Joseph's of Maine, 7-3, on Thursday afternoon at East Boston Memorial Park in the second round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball tournament. Following today's loss, the Falcons will play in an elimination game on Saturday, May 5th against Emmanuel (Mass.).

HOW IT HAPPENED
With one out and runners on the corners, sophomore Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) drove in the first run of the day, driving in Brianna Whitfield (West Islip, N.Y.) from third to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead, but Saint Joseph's of Maine took the lead over, 4-1, after scoring four-runs in the bottom of the first, including a three-run homer from Maizie Lee.

Albertus continued to chip away at the Monks' three-run lead as junior Maxine Sanchez (Corona, N.Y.) drove in a run in the top of the second on a RBI double to left field, cutting the lead in half, 4-2, before a rain delay ensued and the game was put on hold for 30 minutes.

With the sky clear and the field rechalked, the Monks put more distance between themselves and Albertus with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third thanks to Kaylee Burns' two-run homer to left center.

The score stood still from there until Saint Joseph's of Maine added to its advantage in the bottom of the sixth and turned it into a 7-2 Monks' game.

Albertus Magnus started a rally in the top of the seventh as Fallon Speers (East Haven, Conn.) started off the inning with a single up the middle. With two outs and a runner on, Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) drove in Sanchez from first making the score 7-3, but the rally came to an end as a fly out to left field ended the inning.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
On the Mound:

• Albertus Magnus - Fallon Speers (L, 1-2): 6.0 IP | 10 | 7 R | 7 ER | 1 BB | 2 HR
• Saint Joseph's of Maine - Kristal Smith (W, 9-9): 7.0 IP | 7 H | 3 R | 3 ER | 1 BB | 1 SO

At the Plate:

• Three different Monks recorded two-hit days: Libby Pomerleau, Kaylee Burns and Kristal Smith.
• Burns led the trio with homer for two RBI and a pair of runs while Pomerleau provided one RBI and one run for the Monks.
• The Falcons received two-hit efforts from both Whitfield and Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.).
• Whitfield accounted for one of the Falcons' three runs with Daysia Wehder (Queens, N.Y.) and Sanchez, who doubled, also scoring once.
• The Monks out-hit the Falcons by a 10-7 edge.

UP NEXT
Saint Joseph's of Maine advances and will take on Suffolk in the second game in East Boston. Albertus Magnus, meanwhile, is back on the field at East Boston Memorial Park Saturday, May 5 at 10 a.m. in a win-or-go-home elimination game against Emmanuel or Johnson & Wales.

Courtesy of ALBERTUS Athletics Communications.

#7 Emmanuel 8, #3 Simmons 3 (at #2 JWU)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior catcher Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) was 2-4 with three runs batted in to lead the seventh-seeded Emmanuel College (Mass.) softball team over number three seed Simmons College, 8-3, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament Quarterfinals this afternoon at Scotts Miracle-Gro Field on the campus of second seeded Johnson & Wales University. The Saints have won 11 of their last 12 games and improve to 23-16, while the Sharks fall to 21-18.

Emmanuel advances to play Johnson & Wales in tonight's 5:30 p.m. match-up, while the Sharks will continue play in the loser's bracket on Saturday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m. at Memorial Park in East Boston, Mass.

Sheehan cracked a double on the day for the Saints, while sophomore right fielder Yuleska Ramirez Tejeda (South Boston, Mass.) was 2-3, including her sixth home run of the year and knocked in a pair of runs to go with two runs scored. Junior first base Ashley Skey(Brookline, N.H.) also hit a home run and knocked in a run, while scoring a run. First year Meaghan Price (Corning, N.Y.) led all players with three hits.

First year left fielder Ivy Vann (Bend, Ore.) led Simmons, hitting her fourth long ball of the year to go with her league-leading eighth triple of the season, a run batted in and two runs scored. Sophomore second base Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) cranked her sixth homer of the season and second to lead off the first inning for the Sharks this season, while classmate Molly Hennessey (Charlton, Mass.) knocked in a run with a single.

Emmanuel erased a 2-1 deficit with a four-run second to take a 5-2 lead and never looked back. The Saints received three straight singles from the bottom of the order to open the inning and load the bases. Junior left fielder Olivia Burgos(Newington, Conn.) singled through the right side to bring home Price, who led off the frame with a single, to knot the contest at 2-2. Sheehan gave Emmanuel a 4-2 lead with a single to right field to plate first year third base Emily Blanchard (Sturbridge, Mass.) and Ramirez Tejada. Burgos later scored on an error to give the Saints a three-run margin at 5-2.

Emmanuel tacked on two more runs in the sixth to expand its cushion to 7-2. Price led off the inning with a single to left and came around to score when Ramirez Tejada hit a high fly ball to left that got some help from the wind and landed just over the fence for a five-run Saints lead. The Sharks got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Vann hit a one-out home run to center to make it 7-3.

Emmanuel added an insurance run in the eighth on a solo opposite field home run over the right center fence off the bat of Skey to make it 8-3. Simmons looked to rally in the bottom of the frame when first year shortstop Marissa Santoro (Franklin, Mass.) reached on a one-out single to left, but the next two Sharks were retired in order to end the game.

The Saints opened the scoring in the top of the first when sophomore Sarah Hoisl (West Hartford, Conn.) singled with one out and came around to score ahead of a double to right from Sheehan. Simmons wasted no time in countering when Del Vacchio launched a leadoff home run over the right center fence to tie the score at 1-1. Vann followed with a triple to right and scored on a single to center off the bat of Hennessey to give the Sharks their only lead of the day at 2-1.

Junior right-handed pitcher Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) earned the complete-game seven inning win to improve to 10-8 after allowing three runs on six hits and no walks, while striking out four. Senior righty Juliet Nelson (Cumberland, R.I.) (13-8) suffered the loss for Simmons, yielding seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits and a walk, while fanning three in five and a third innings of play.

Courtesy of SIMMONS Athletics Communications.

#2 JWU 4, #7 Emmanuel 0
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Johnson & Wales University senior Jennifer Corona nearly beat Emmanuel single-handedly in the GNAC softball tournament. She struck out 13 batters and hit a two-run home run as the Wildcats defeated the Saints, 4-0.

Records:
Emmanuel: 23-17
Johnson & Wales: 29-11

Statistical Leaders:
Meghan Gavin: 3-4, 1 RBI
Jennifer Corona: 1-2, 1 R, 2 RBI; 7 IP, 0 R 13 K

Of Note:
The victory is the 117^th by the JWU senior class, the most during any four-year stretch in program history

Corona took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Ashley Skey broke up the bid for her second no hitter of the season with a one-out single. Corona struck out a season-high 13 batters – one off her career-high – to get her 13^th win of the year. She became the second pitcher in program history to record 500 career strikeouts.

JWU couldn't break through against Emmanuel starter Olivia Burgos until the fourth inning. Katie Rufo was hit by a pitch to start the inning then Corona drilled a line drive over the centerfield fence for her fifth home run of the year.

Kristin Frost added a solo home run in the fifth then Meghan Gavin scored Brenna DuPerry with a triple in the sixth.

Up Next:
JWU moves on to face Suffolk at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the winner's bracket. The two teams split the regular season doubleheader.

Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications.

#1 Suffolk 2, #4 Saint Joseph's Maine 1 (9 innings)
EAST BOSTON – The top-seeded Suffolk softball team had a flare for the dramatic in its GNAC Tournament opener as a classic pitcher's duel took the game to nine innings before Delaney Sylvester barreled a two RBI bomb to send the Rams past fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's (Maine), 2-1, Thursday night at East Boston Memorial Park.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2, Saint Joseph's (Maine) 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (30-17) | Saint Joseph's (Maine) (20-18)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Ali Yamakaitis handled the circle for the full seven and then some. The senior RHP escaped a pair of innings with two runners to keep the Monks quiet and force the extra session.  

Kate Whitney matched Yamakaitis' fire with some of her own heat as she kept the conference's best offense quiet through eight frames. 

Everything came down to the ninth. Melodia Bailey started things off with a double to left center and turned on her wheels on Kaylee Burns single to right center to break open the scoring. Yamakaitis showed composure and leaned on her defense to keep the Monks at one. 

With Jaclyn Flint on first and one out on the board Sylvester made connection with the ball and eruption soared in East Boston as the senior catcher sent a shot over the right field fence to secure the 2-1 win for the Rams.   

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Yamakaitis 9.0 inning day featured a stat line of one-run on seven hits and one walk with an impressive eight punchouts. 
• Whitney let up a pair of runs on five hits and one walk with four Ks.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Sylvester's only hit of the day was the game-winning homer, which was good for two RBI and one run. 
• Devlin Frost was the lone Ram to record multiple hits in the outing with a 2-for-3 effort. 
• Flint had one hit and one run to her credit with Ashley Zulla rounding out the Rams with hits with one. 
• Libby Pomerleau produced three of the Monks seven hits. 
• Burns' single brought in SJC's only run, which was scored by Bailey, who record a double.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk won its 30th game, marking the fourth season and first time since 2016 the Rams have eclipsed the 30-win mark. 
• The Rams won their second straight GNAC Tournament meeting the Monks, and fourth straight game against SJC to move to 15-19 all-time versus the Monks. 
• Suffolk moved to 2-6 all-time against SJC in the GNAC postseason. 
• The Rams' senior class – Madison Eucalitto,Devlin Frost, Taylor Holmes, Sylvester and Ali Yamakaitis – recorded their 119th victory to become the all-time winningest senior class of all sports in Suffolk Athletics history.  

COMING UP
With the win, Suffolk will meet second-seed Johnson & Wales in the winner's bracket Saturday, May 5 at 3 p.m. 

Courtesy of SUFFOLK Athletics Communications.

First Round - Wednesday, May 2 (single elimination)
Game 1: #5 Albertus Magnus 6, #8 Lasell 5 | BOX
Game 2: #7 Emmanuel 5, #6 Saint Joseph (CT) 2 | BOX

Second Round - Thursday, May 3 (double-elim begins)
Game 3: #4 Saint Joseph's Maine 7, #5 Albertus Magnus 3 (at #1 Suffolk) | BOX
Game 4: #7 Emmanuel 8, #3 Simmons 3 (at #2 JWU) | BOX
Game 5: #1 Suffolk 2, #4 Saint Joseph's Maine 1 (9 innings) | BOX
Game 6: #2 JWU 4, #7 Emmanuel 0 | BOX

Semifinals - Saturday, May 5 (hosted by #1 Suffolk)
Game 7: #3 Simmons vs. #4 Saint Joseph's Maine (elim game) - 10:00 AM
Game 8: #5 Albertus Magnus vs. #7 Emmanuel (elim game) - 12:30 PM
Game 9: #2 JWU vs. #1 Suffolk - 3:00 PM
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elim game) - 5:30 PM 

Championship - Sunday, May 6 (hosted by #1 Suffolk)
Game 11: Game 9 loser vs. Game 10 winner (elim game) - 10:00 AM
Game 12: Game 11 winner vs. Game 9 winner - 12:30 PM
Game 13: if necessary - 3:00 PM

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

– #TheGNAC –