Emmanuel, JWU, Rivier, USJ Collect Wins in Day 1 of Pod Play

WINTHROP, Mass. - The First Day of Pod Play in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Tournament featured four contests at both Rivier and Johnson & Wales in the afternoon/evening. 

In Pod A at Rivier, the #3S seed University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) defeated #2S seed Albertus Magnus while the top-seeded and host Raiders defeated #4N Saint Joseph's (Maine) in extra innings, 5-4. In Pod B at JWU, #2N seed Emmanuel defeated #3N Simmons, 5-2, while the host and top-seeded Wildcats beat #5S Regis 11-4.

Due to the anticipated weather forecast over the weekend, Rivier and USJ will face each other tomorrow (May 2) at 3:30 pm to earn a spot in the Pod A finals, which will be held Saturday at 4 pm. Meanwhile, Albertus Magnus and Saint Joseph's (Maine) will fight to stay alive in the postseason in double-elimination play tomorrow night at 7 PM as well. Both games will still be held at Rivier. 

Meanwhile, Regis and Simmons will battle it out in a double-elimination game at noon in Providence, RI while JWU and Emmanuel will play at 3pm for the opportunity to play in the Pod B finals on Sunday at noon.

FULL SCHEDULE HERE

Recap/Photo Courtesy of Emmanuel Athletic Communications

BOSTON – A five-run fifth inning from the Saints provided all the offense Emmanuel softball required, as the Saints advance in the winner's bracket of Pod B with a 5-2 win over the Simmons Sharks on Thursday evening at Clemente Field.

Pod B, consisting of Johnson & Wales, Emmanuel, Simmons, and Regis, opened Pod B play this afternoon, with the Wildcats and Saints advancing in the winner's bracket, while the Sharks and Pride will open Saturday's play with in elimination game, hosted by the top-seed in Pod B, Johnson & Wales. Emmanuel's win tonight moves them to 15-22, as the loss for the Sharks drops them to 18-21.

Simmons was first on the board in the top of the first. After a single and a Saints error to open the game, a two-out RBI single by junior Ally Hyde scored fellow junior Emily Deleault from third to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Emmanuel had chances to score in the first and fourth, but left two runners on in both innings, as the Sharks held their 1-0 lead. The Saints had runners on the corners with two outs in the first and two runners in scoring position with one out in the fourth, but were unable to convert on either occasion.

The home side finally broke through in the fifth, posting five runs in the bottom of the inning. A pair of infield singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out when senior Madison Marks stepped in. Marks lifted a ball into right field, looking like a sacrifice fly that would tie the game, but a misplay in the Sharks outfield saw the ball go over the head of the outfielder, roll to the wall, and score two runs, giving the Saints the lead.

Two batters later, an RBI single by sophomore MeKayla Poisson added to the Saints advantage. After Poission stole second to put two runners in scoring position, first-year Molly Carnes capped off the five-run fifth with a two-run single to right, ending the rally for a 5-1 Saints lead.

Meanwhile, in the Saints pitching circle, Marks was stellar after allowing the early run, surrendering just one hit and retiring 11 consecutive batters through the middle innings. Simmons would break the string of consecutive outs with a solo home run in the sixth by first-year Zoe Soule, cutting the deficit to 5-2.

After allowing a lead-off walk in the seventh, Marks closed the door on the Sharks, retiring the next three hitters, finishing off a complete game and a 5-2 Emmanuel win.

Poisson finished 3-for-3 with a trio of singles, while adding one RBI, one run scored, and three stolen bases. Sophomore Mia Fernandes went 2-for-4, including a lead-off double in the first. Marks pitched a full seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits, while improving to 9-10 this season.

Soule had the Sharks only extra base hit with her sixth-inning solo homer, her fourth home run of the year. Deleault went 1-for-3 with a single and run scored. Junior pitcher Piper Kinney went 1-for-2 at the plate and pitched six innings, allowing five runs, all unearned, to go with nine hits and 13 strikeouts. Kinney drops to 12-10 with the loss and 0-2 against the Saints this season.

Pod B continues on Saturday with the Sharks in an elimination game against Regis at 12:00 p.m. at Johnson & Wales. The Saints press on with the winner's bracket game at 3:00 p.m. against JWU. The winner of Sharks and Pride will meet the loser of Wildcats and Saints at 6:00 p.m. in an elimination game.

Recap/Photo Courtesy of Johnson & Wales Athletic Communications

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Mady Lyons smacked two home runs and drove in six for the JWU (Providence) softball team in an 11-4 win over Regis (MA) College Thursday afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.

Lyons belted a three-run shot in the second and another in the sixth, pushing her season totals to 11 round trippers and 46 RBI. Freshman Morgan Pelletier also left the yard twice while senior Mackenzie Clee went 3-for-3 and scored three runs.

The win sets up a meeting with Emmanuel (MA) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Providence with the winner advancing to the final round of pod play on Sunday. The Saints – who defeated Simmons 5-2 in Boston earlier today – eliminated the top-seeded Wildcats in 2023 at the SMAC.

Senior Caroline Amorelli opened the scoring with run-scoring double in the first, followed by an RBI single from Pelletier. After the Pride tied the game with a pair in the top of the third, Lyons launched a moonshot over the centerfield fence to give JWU a 5-2 lead.

Pelletier's sixth home run of 2025 in the fifth made it 6-4 before Lyons and Pelletier's second taters of the afternoon in a five-run sixth capped the scoring. Senior Katie Scheid notched win No. 13 on the season as she allowed six hits and four runs (three earned) with three strikeouts. Junior Jillian Reed closed the contest with two scoreless innings.

Recap/Photo Courtesy of Rivier Athletic Communications

NASHUA, N.H. – With one out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the tenth, graduate student Hannah Muchemorelaunched the game winning hit off the wall in left field, allowing classmate Kayla Miles to cross the plate to lead the Rivier softball team past Saint Joseph's (Me.) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Pod A play at Raider Diamond, 5-4.

The Raiders advance to day two with a record of 22-13, while the Monks will look to stave off elimination in a matchup against No. 2S Albertus Magnus with a record of 17-23.

Rivier found itself trailing 3-0 after the first three innings, but the bats came to life in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior Avry Nelson led off the inning with walk followed by a trio of singles from sophomore Sophia Quinlan, Miles, and junior Hayley Rapaglia, who brought home Nelson to cut Saint Joseph's (Me.) lead to two. Sophomore Hayleigh Silva continued the rally with an RBI base knock to the shortstop with Muchemore adding an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center field to knot the contest up at 3-3. Senior Courtney Marioles concluded the scoring for the Raiders by reaching on a fielder's choice, giving Rivier its first lead of the contest.

The Monks tied the game up in the top of fifth inning on an RBI single to center field off the bat of Chantelle Bouchard.

Both teams held each other scoreless for the next four innings of play.

Rivier called game in the bottom of the tenth inning thanks to a clutch performance at the plate by Muchemore to take the contest, 5-4.

Sophomore Hailey Berube dealt all 10 innings, retiring five Monks via strikeout, and did not let up a run in the final five innings.

Rapaglia was the offensive leader in the clubhouse, going 4-for-6 at the plate while contributing one RBI. Miles followed closely behind going 2-for-3 at the dish with two runs scored and two walks drawn, including the walk which eventually scored the game-winning run.

The Raiders return to action on Friday, May 2 to take on No. 3S Saint Joseph (Conn.) in the winner's bracket of GNAC Pod A play. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Raider Diamond.

Recap/Photo Courtesy of University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Athletic Communications

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The South Division third-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) softball team opened the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Thursday afternoon, taking down South Division second-seeded and intrastate rival Albertus Magnus College (Albertus), 5-3, in the opening game of Pod A play at the Shea Softball Complex in New Haven, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays (19-17) move into the winner's bracket of Pod A and await the winner of tonight's Rivier University and Saint Joseph's College of Maine game, who they will play on Friday. The Falcons (25-16) drop into the loser's bracket and will now play in an elimination game tomorrow against the loser of the aforementioned matchup. All Pod A games going forward are set to take place at Raider Diamond in Nashua, N.H.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Falcons grabbed an early lead, scoring one run in the bottom half of the first to hold a 1-0 edge.
• USJ answered in the top of the fourth, as sophomore infielder Jennifer Antonowicz (Wolcott, Conn.) led off the inning with a double to the right-center gap. Two batters later, senior first baseman Alyssa Roberts (Naugatuck, Conn.) notched an RBI double, plating Antonowicz and tying the game at 1-1.
• In the next at-bat, freshman outfielder Gabby Marichal (Lynn, Mass.) hit a single back up the middle, scoring freshman Gianna Quaresima (Rocky Hill, Conn.), who entered the game as a pinch runner for Roberts, and establishing a 2-1 USJ edge after four innings.
• The momentum carried over into the top of the fifth, as Antonowicz slashed an RBI single to right field, increasing the gap to 3-1.
• Junior outfielder Kaitlyn Ouellette (Wolcott, Conn.) continued the run parade, launching an RBI double to center field, plating senior shortstop Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.) and extending the USJ edge to 4-1.
• The Falcons responded in the bottom half of the frame, scoring two runs to close the deficit to one, 4-3, after five innings.
• USJ immediately answered in the top of the sixth, as senior Brianna Catalani (Watertown, Conn.) who entered the game as a pinch hitter, launched the ball over the left field fence, increasing the advantage to 5-3.
• Roberts shut the door in the seventh, retiring the Falcons to seal the victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Antonowicz paced the team with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate.
• Five different Blue Jays recorded one RBI.
• Junior outfielder Avianna Ibrahim (Colchester, Conn.) stole the lone base for USJ.
• Junior Paige Fekete (Watertown, Conn.) got the start inside the circle, picking up the win (6-6) after tossing five strikeouts while allowing three runs off six hits across 4.2 innings.
• Roberts earned her first career save, tossing 2.1 scoreless, hitless innings with two strikeouts.

UP NEXT

USJ travels to Nashua, N.H., for the remainder of Pod A play, beginning with a matchup against the winner of hosts Rivier University versus Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Friday, May 2. First pitch at Raider Diamond is yet to be determined.

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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