BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Softball Team split with Mount Ida College in the second of three Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) double-headers this weekend.  The Saints dropped a 3-2 decision that went twelve innings in game-one, before rallying for a 7-3 win in the nightcap.  Emmanuel now stands at 11-12 overall and 3-5 in GNAC play, while Mount Ida is 2-12 on the season and 2-5 in the league.

GAME ONE:

It would take five innings of extra play, before game one between the Saints and the Mustangs was decided.  Emmanuel held a 2-0 lead for much of the game, before the visitors scored twice in the top of the seventh, forcing the extra frames.

Sophomore shortstop Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.) opened up the action for EC with a lead off double to right center and then stole third.  One batter later, classmate Kerianne Vulpis (East Rockaway, N.Y.) knocked one into the same spot, driving in Davis to give the Saints an early 1-0 lead.

The Saints gave up two hits to the Mustangs in the top of the third, but continued to hold Mount Ida scoreless.  Emmanuel opened the bottom of the side with a lead-off single to centerfield by senior catcher Julia Levins (Uxbridge, Mass.).  Davis then reached on an error in leftfield and both Levins and Davis stole second and third, respectively.  Freshman Jill Kilcoyne (Worcester, Mass.) reached on a walk to load the bases, before rookie leftfielder Samantha Adams (Sanford, Me.) drove in Levins, putting the hosts up 2-0.

Mount Ida got its third hit of the afternoon in the top of the forth, off a single from senior shortstop Kristen Guerrero (Fairfield, Conn.), but the Saints finished things off and Mount Ida left Guerrero stranded, keeping the score at 2-0 through four.

Senior Jennifer Garrity (Lynn, Mass.) pinch hit in the bottom of the 5th and ripped a single up the middle, but the Saints couldn't move her around.  Mount Ida was retired quickly in the top of the sixth.   EC put a pair of base-runners on in the bottom of the inning, when Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) singled and Kayla Howard (Belmont, N.H.) reached on an error.  Levins then walked to load them up, but the Saints failed to bring anybody home and Emmanuel held its slim 2-0 advantage through six.

The Mustangs would rally back in the top of the seventh, when Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, N.J.) hit a one-out single to right.  Nickole Soto (Marlboro, Mass.) followed with a single to center, brining the go-ahead run to the plate.  An Emmanuel infield error would score two runs for the visitors, tying things up at 2-all, heading into the Saints' final at-bat.  EC couldn't score in the bottom of the side, forcing extra the innings.

Four extra frames were played scoreless for both teams, despite multiple base-runners on each side. It was in the top of the twelfth that Mount Ida pulled ahead.  Megan Hall (Danielson, Conn.) was placed on second base for the international tie-breaker rule and she was moved to third on a single by Michele MacDonald (North Dighton, Mass.).  Freshman Shannon McArthur (Coventry, R.I) ripped a two-out single down the left-field line to score Hall for the game-winning run and the 3-2 victory.

Rookie pitcher Nicole Handzel (Palmer, Mass.) earned the win for the Mustangs, going the distance in the circle.  Handzel threw the full twelve innings, giving up just 6 hits and fanning 15 for her first collegiate win.

Sophomore Val Kiers (West Warwick, R.I.) pitched the first 7 innings for the Saints, giving up 5 hits and two runs (zero earned).  Kilcoyne relived Kiers for the extra five innings and gave up three hits and the game-winning run (zero earned), taking the loss for the Saints and falling to 4-4 on the season.

GAME TWO:

The second game opened with the Mustangs getting on the board early.  MacDonald singled and Kirsten Guerrero (Coventry, R.I.) drove her in with a double to left-center, for a 1-0 Mount Ida lead in the first.

Emmanuel rebounded, putting together a four-run inning in the third off a pair of homers by underclassmen.  Kara Madden (Silver Spring, Md.) singled to kick things off and was moved to second by Levins.  Davis then stepped to the plate and smashed a two-run homer over the centerfield fence to put Emmanuel on top, 2-1.  This was Davis' second homerun in two days.  Kilcoyne reached on an infield error and Adams followed with her second career homerun, sending the ball over the fence in left-center and the hosts surged out in front, 4-1.

The Mustangs stranded two base-runners in both the fifth and sixth innings.  The Saints then tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth, when they opened the inning with three-consecutive hits. Garrity doubled to right-center, scoring Kieselback and Marianne Halas (Lynn, Mass.) to bring the spread to 6-1.  Emmanuel batted through the order and Kilcoyne returned to the plate with the bases loaded and was walked, scoring another run and earning an RBI, which put EC out in front, 7-1.

The Mustangs added two runs to their total in the top of the seventh to cut their deficit to 7-3.  McArthur blasted a two-run homer over the left-field fence, scoring MacDonald, who had reached on a single.  He effort was too little to late and the Saints hung on for the 7-3 win.

Kilcoyne pitched the complete game for the Saints, improving to 5-4 on the season.  The rookie faced 33 batters, striking out 6, and giving hit 6 hits with 2 walks.

A pair of freshman shared time in the circle for the Mustangs.  Kaitlyn Muhlenforth (Bohemia, N.Y.) pitched 5.1 innings and took the loss, dropping to 1-4 on the season.  Handzel relieved her in the sixth, facing four batters and walking two.

The Saints will return to Clemente Field tomorrow for another GNAC double-header.  Emmanuel will host Johnson & Wales University at noon and 2:00 PM.