PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It took one more game than the Johnson & Wales University softball team would have liked, but the Wildcats captured their third straight conference championship. After dropping the first game to Suffolk, 3-2, the Wildcats downed the Rams, 15-5, to win the GNAC title.

Record:
Suffolk: 29-17
Johnson & Wales: 34-8

Statistical Leaders:
Meghan Gavin (JWU): 3-5, 4 R, 3 RBI (GM 2)
Brenna DuPerry (JWU): 3-4, 2 R, 1 RBI (GM 2)
Jaclyn Flint (SUF): 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI (GM 1) / 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI (GM 2)

Of Note:
JWU rebounded from the game one loss to score a run in every at-bat of game two. Tiffani Semanchik (Flemington, NJ) got the scoring started in the top of the first with an infield single to score Meghan Gavin (Wallingford, Conn.).

Catcher Sierra Allen (Jurupa Valley, Calif.) started a three-run second inning with a solo home run. A deep fly ball from Gavin scored Brenna DuPerry (Cranston, RI) and Alex Fantasia (Framingham, Mass.).

Delaney Sylvester cranked her second home run of the day in the bottom of the second. It was Jaclyn Flint's turn in the fourth as she hit her second two-run home run in as many games started a four-run fourth. Lindsay Pagano pulled the Rams within 6-5 on a two-run single.

The Wildcats answered Suffolk's four runs with four of their own in the top of the fifth. Two runs came in without a base hit as Kristin Frost (Pearl City, Hawaii) was walked with the bases loaded then Ally Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.) got plunked with the bases full.

Johnson & Wales ended the game early with a five-spot in the sixth inning. The big blow was a two-run single by Emily Gorecki (Bremerton, Wash.). Pitcher Jennifer Corona (Middle Island, NY) threw the final three innings to pick up the victory.

Game One
JWU broke through for the first run in game one in the bottom of the third. Fantasia ripped a double to right field then score on Gavin's two-out single.

Sylvester tied the game in the fifth when she led off the inning with a solo home run.

The long ball gave the Rams the lead in the top of the sixth. Ashley Zulla kept the inning alive with a two-out single then Flint hit a two-run home run to left field that proved to be the game-winning hit.

JWU got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Diana Amendolara (Newtown, Pa.) cranked a solo home run, her second of the tournament.

All-Tournament Team:
Diana Amendolara, JWU - MVP
Jennifer Corona, JWU
Brenna DuPerry, JWU
Alex Fantasia, JWU
Delaney Sylvester, Suffolk
Ali Yamakaitis, Suffolk
Lindsay Pagano, Suffolk
Megan Kelly, Albertus Magnus
Rachel Cataudellu, Albertus Magnus
Kylie McFadden, St. Joseph's
Carla Tripp, St. Joseph's

---

#3 Suffolk 9, #4 Albertus Magnus 2 - 8 innings
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Seven runs in the top of the eighth inning sent the third-seeded Suffolk softball team to the GNAC Championship game as the Rams eliminated fourth-seeded Albertus Magnus, 9-2, Sunday morning at Johnson & Wales' Scotts-Miracle Grow Complex.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 9, Albertus Magnus 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (28-16) | Albertus Magnus (31-14) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Jill Pulek's power put Suffolk on the board in the first frame as the sophomore designated hitter sent a blast over the right center fence, bringing in Jaclyn Flint, who reached on a fielder's choice in the process to give the Rams an early 2-0 edge.

The Falcons trimmed the margin to one in the home half of the first thanks to Gillian Fortier's lead-off, solo shot. Three innings later the playing field was leveled. With two outs, Megan Kelly's rocket triple to right scored Aliza Esposito who singled and was pushed to second thanks to a sac by Morgan Shura to make it a 2-all game after four frames.

Things held at 2-all from there and Ali Yamakaitis came out of Suffolk's pen to keep the Falcons quiet. The junior twirler retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to force the extra frame, where the Rams rallied. 

Flint started the inning with a single and moved to second thanks to an error by Falcons' center fielder Kelly. Suffolk's shortstop moved to third and Puelk walked, before Delaney Sylvester knocked a single to right field to bring in the go-ahead run. Devlin Frost followed suit with an RBI single of her own to give the Rams' a two-run cushion, but the blue-and-gold went through its lineup to run up the advantage to 9-2. Along the way, McKenzie McGrath, Sydney Littlefield, Ashley Zulla and Flint collected RBIs.

Behind Yamakaitis, the Rams retired the side to lock up its spot in the conference championship.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• McGrath had a day with the Rams' third baseman going perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with one RBI and one run scored.
• The trio of Flint, Pulek and Sylvester all had three hits apiece. Pulek put together a 3-for-4 performance with one double, two RBI and two runs. Flint and Sylvester each went 3-for-5 with one RBI apiece and the former scoring twice.
• Frost rounded out the Rams with double digit hits with two on her stat line as Suffolk produced17 hits in the victory.

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Yamakaitis earned the decision in a scoreless, one-hit, three-strikeout, relief effort of 3.0 innings.
• In the start, Taylor Holmes tossed the first 5.0 frames. The junior let up two runs on eight hits and one walk, while sitting down three batters.
• Megan Ferraro suffered the setback for Albertus Magnus. She allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 14 hits and one walk with two Ks.
• Laura Anderson also took the circle for the Falcons. In just 0.2 innings, she gave up one run on three hits. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk advances to the GNAC championship game for the first time since 2014 and second-time ever under Jaclyn Davis.
• The Rams will make their fifth-ever trip to the league's title game.

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics Communications.

---

First Round - Tuesday, May 2 (single elimination) | RECAP
Game 1: #8 Simmons 6, #5 St. Joseph (Conn.) 4 | BOX
Game 2: #6 Norwich 7, #7 Emmanuel 2 | BOX

Second Round - Thursday, May 4 (double-elim begins) | RECAP
Game 3: #4 Albertus Magnus 9, #8 Simmons 0 (at #1 JWU) | BOX
Game 4: #3 Suffolk 4, #6 Norwich 0 (at #2 SJC) | BOX
Game 5: #1 JWU 13, #4 Albertus Magnus 12 | BOX
Game 6: #3 Suffolk 5, #2 Saint Joseph's Maine 2 | BOX

Semifinals - Saturday, May 6 (hosted by #1 JWU)
Game 7: #4 Albertus Magnus 15, #6 Norwich 5 | BOX
Game 8: #2 Saint Joseph's Maine 6, #8 Simmons 3 | BOX
Game 9: #1 JWU 6, #3 Suffolk 0 | BOX
Game 10: #4 Albertus Magnus 8, #2 SJC Maine 0 | BOX

Championship - Sunday, May 7 (hosted by #1 JWU)
Game 11: #3 Suffolk 9, #4 Albertus Magnus 2 - 8 innings | BOX
Game 12: #3 Suffolk 3, #1 JWU 2 | BOX
Game 13: #1 JWU 15, #3 Suffolk 5 | BOX

---

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

– #TheGNAC –