Softball Sweeps GNAC Twinbill Over Emmanuel

The Suffolk University Softball team swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader on Wednesday evening over Emmanuel College winning game one 5-3, before taking the second game 8-3.

Freshman Paige Stanley (Fair Haven, N.J.) was 4-for-6 in the two games combined driving in a pair of runs, while freshman Meredith Ball (Nahant, Mass.) also recorded four hits in five at-bats and scored twice to lead the Rams.

Game One

Sophomore Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) earned her first win of the season on the mound as she struck out 10 hitters over seven innings to lead the Rams with a complete game effort.

Suffolk would score all five of their runs over the first two innings.

The Rams got on the board in the first inning as they scored three times. Sophomore Alicia Gonnella (Bridgewater, N.J.) delivered a single to right center with one out and the bases full to knock in a pair of runs as Suffolk jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Junior Nikki Cignarella (Norwood, Mass.) would draw a bases loaded walk later in the inning for the early three run edge.

Suffolk would tack on two more runs in their next at-bat in the second inning as Stanley collected her first of two hits on the day to drive in Chasse for what would be the eventual game winning run. Gonnella added her third RBI of the contest with an RBI groundout later in the inning.

Chasse would hold the Saints at bay for the majority of the game. The lone blemish of the contest came in the third when she let up a two-run home run to freshman Catherine Davis (Wethersfield, Conn.). Emmanuel would score another run, unearned later in the sixth inning.

Suffolk finished game one with nine hits as a team as Stanley, Ball and freshman Brooke Brandt (St. Paul, Minn.) each had a pair. Gonnella drove in three runs for Suffolk. The Rams also took advantage of three Saints' errors.

Game Two

Freshman Nicole Isakson (Avon, Conn.) helped pace a 12-hit Suffolk attack in the nightcap with a 3-for-4 effort as she always drove in a pair of runs.

Suffolk once again jumped out to an early 3-0 edge as they plated three runs in the second inning. Isakson, Chasse and sophomore Nicole Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) hit consecutive RBI singles for the Rams for the early three run edge.

Emmanuel would chip away at the lead as sophomore Alex Bressette (North Easton, Mass.) doubled home the Saints first run of the game. Freshman Jenna Marcello (Hopedale, Mass.) would make it a one-run game in the next inning as she connected on the second Saints' big fly of the day with a blast to centerfield to make it a 3-2 ball game.

Suffolk got some insurance in the sixth inning as freshman Julia Ludvigsen (Dedham, Mass.) came around to score on a wild pitch who started the inning with a single.

The Rams would tack on four more runs in the top half of the seventh inning. Stanley got things started with an RBI double and would come around to score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Brandt.  A double down the left field line by Cignarella would knock in another run before Isakson rounded out the inning with a single to make it an 8-3 game.

Ludvigsen earned the win on the mound for Suffolk as she pitched the first five innings. Gonnella would record the save as she pitched the final two frames for Suffolk.

The wins move the Rams to a 3-9 overall record, while they pull even in GNAC play with a 2-2 mark.

Suffolk will be back in action on Friday afternoon as they host Norwich University in a GNAC twinbill at Popoulo Field beginning at 2:00pm.