March 31, 2012

Box Score

BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Softball Team dropped a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball games to Mount Ida College, as the visiting Mustangs swept the Saints, 14-6 and 10-7, at Roberto Clemente Field on Saturday afternoon. The two wins bring Mount Ida to 9-11 on the season and 3-5 in the conference, while Emmanuel falls to 4-18 overall and 2-8 in league play.

The Mustangs got a huge day from sophomore Kirsten Guerrero (Fairfield, Conn.), who went 7 for 8 at the plate with two homeruns in the opening game and seven RBI on the day. Emmanuel's offense was led by sophomores Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) and Kayla Howard (Belmont, N.H.), who each recorded 4 hits apiece.

Game one saw the Saints getting on the board early with one run in the first inning, but Mount Ida quickly rebounded and gained the lead in the top of the third. Guerrero stepped to the plate with two outs and crushed a two-run homer, giving the Mustangs a 2-1 edge. Scoreless action in the fourth led to a monster fifth inning for the Mustangs, which featured the visitors putting seven runs on the board, kicked off by a single from Guerrero. Freshman Rayelle Pierson (Pittsfield, Mass.) then doubled, scoring Guerrero. Mount Ida got hits from Meghan Moriarty (Holbrook, Mass.), Nickole Soto (Marlboro, Mass.) and a triple from Chaise Courbron (Monroe, Conn.) during the scoring flood.

The Saints got two back in the bottom of the side, when junior Laura Benvenuto (Wyckoff, N.J.) singled and then stole second and third. Sophomore shortstop Julia Levins (Uxbridge, Mass.) reached on a walk before junior Kelly Lloid (Iassaquah, Wash.) hit a two RBI single, scoring both baserunners and Emmanuel trailed, 9-3.

Guerrero then doubled in the sixth and scored Mount Ida's tenth run of the game. The Saints scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, backed by a single from Howard, a double from freshman Alexandra Bressette (North Easton, Mass.), and an RBI single by Benvenuto, setting the score at 10-6 and putting the game back within reach.

However, the visitors put together another huge inning in the seventh, including Guerrero's second homer of the contest. The two RBI shot was part of four more Mustangs runs and Mount Ida took the 14-6 win.

Junior Devan Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) went the distance on the mound for the Mustangs, earning the win. Meeker gave up 9 hits and 4 earned runs, fanning 5 of her 34 batters faced. Garrity took the loss for the Saints, pitching 4.1 innings, before picking up relief from Levins, who threw the final 2.2 for the hosts.

The Mustangs took an early lead in the nightcap, scoring three quick runs off of three hits in the first, including an RBI single from Guerrero. Emmanuel then scored two runs off of two hits in the bottom of the inning. Levins led off with a triple and scored on a single by Garrity. Freshman Carina Paz (Fall River, Mass.) knocked in classmate Julia Demirali (West Roxbury, Mass.), who had reached on a fielder's choice and the Saints trailed, 3-2.

Mount Ida scored four times in the second off of a two RBI single from Guerrero and a two RBI double by freshman Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, N.J.) and the visitors led, 7-2. The Saints played more catch-up in the bottom of the frame, scoring a run when Jessica Dold (Medfield, Mass.) pinch ran, stealing second and third, before scoring on a wild pitch.

Mustang hits by Courbron and Meeker led to two more runs in the third and Mount Ida led, 9-3. The Saints' bats heated up in the third with a lead-off single by Garrity. Paz then walked and was moved around by a double from Howard, which scored Garrity. Bressette hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Paz. Freshman catcher Catherine Bergeron (Sandwich, Mass.) hit a single that scored Howard and Emmanuel cut the deficit to 9-6.

Mount Ida went down quickly in the fourth, before the Saints earned another run in the bottom of the side. Levins hit a lead-off single and was driven in by Lloid, setting the score at 9-7. The Mustangs tacked on one more in the sixth and pulled out the 10-7 win.

Junior Denise Picard (Winooski, Vt.) recorded the win for the Mustangs, pitching the first two innings for the visitors, before leaving the game with an injury. Meeker relieved Picard for the final five innings, striking out five Saints in the effort. Lloid went the distance in the circle for the Saints, fanning four of her 35 batters faced.

The Saints will play at home again tomorrow, when they host Norwich University in a GNAC double-header beginning at 12:00pm on Roberto Clemente Field. Mount Ida will host Anna Maria tomorrow in a 1:00pm start.