SOFTBALL TEAM SWEEPS ANNA MARIA IN GNAC OPENING DOUBLE-HEADER

BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College cruised to a sweep of Anna Maria College on Sunday afternoon in the Saints' opening Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests of the 2015 season.  After having three-consecutive GNAC double-headers postponed due to poor weather conditions, the Saints rolled to a 9-1 win over the AMCATS in game one and a 14-0 victory in game two.  The pair of wins improved Emmanuel's record to 7-3, while Anna Maria dropped to 3-9 on season and 1-3 in conference play.

Emmanuel opened the conference action on its home turf at Roberto Clemente Field.  The games, which were intended to be hosted at Anna Maria, were played on the Saints' turf, as AMC's grass fields were not yet playable.  The pair of wins marked the Saints' first contests up north, since returning from an eight-game stint in Florida over spring break.

Game One: Emmanuel 9, Anna Maria 1

Saints pitcher Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) threw 15 strikeouts and gave up just two hits to keep the AMCATS off the scoreboard for six innings.   Anna Maria's lone run was scored on a solo homerun by Amy Clement (Townsend, Mass.) in the bottom of the fifth inning.

After a scoreless first inning, Emmanuel scored twice in the top of the second on the strength of three hits and an error. Erin Walsh (Granby, Conn.) doubled down the left field line to score Samantha Adams (Sanford, Maine). Walsh advanced to third on a bunt single by Cassey LePage (Somerset, Mass.), and during Marianne Halas' (Lynn, Mass.) at-bat, LePage took off from first, allowing Walsh to score from third on the throw to second.

The Saints added another run in the top of the third, and three more in the top of the fourth to take a 6-0 lead, before Clement's homerun brought the score to 6-1 through five innings. Emmanuel added two runs in the top of the sixth and a final score in the top of the seventh to seal the 9-1 win.

Lead-off batter Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) led the Saints with a team-high three RBI on a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) finished 3-for-4 at the plate and tallied on an RBI on a solo homerun.

AMCAT senior pitcher Nichole Lowe (Saugus, Mass.) took the loss in the circle, scattering nine hits, five earned runs and two walks while striking out two.

Game Two: Emmanuel 14, Anna Maria 0

The AMCATS held the Emmanuel bats to just three runs through six innings, but a monster 11-run seventh inning propelled the Saints to their biggest margin of victory this season.

Kieselback batted 3-for-4 at the plate with a team-high four RBI. Kerrianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) and Adams both finished with two hits each. The Saints totaled 15 hits as a team.

Adams earned the win in the circle, giving up two hits and two walks, while striking out six in the shutout.

AMCAT pitcher Angela Vousboukis (Swampscott, Mass.) scattered 15 hits, 11 earned runs and two walks while striking out two.  Anna Maria saw hits from Jacqueline Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.) and Elizabeth Haggerty (Charlton, Mass.).

The Saints will take to the field again tomorrow night (March 30th), when Emmanuel hosts Rivier University in a re-scheduled double-header, set to begin at 6:30 PM on the diamond at Clemente Field.

- Release courtesy of Anna Maria College Sports Information