NEWTON, MASS. - Eighth seeded Simmons College kept its Cinderella hopes alive for the 2009 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball Championship, as the Sharks eliminated third seeded Suffolk University by a 4-1 score at Taylor Field on the campus of Lasell College.
Simmons took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of unearned runs off Suffolk starter Elizabeth Galvin (FY, Medway, Mass.). Courtney Collier (So., Bolton, Mass.) led off the inning by reaching on an error. Following a strike out, Collier appeared to be forced at second base on a grounder to shortstop but the ball was bobbled and Meredith Burr (Sr., Londonderry, N.H.) reached on the fielder's choice. Stephanie Murray (So., Groveland, Mass.) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, and Annie Thompson singled to drive in two runs.
Suffolk got a run back in the third inning after Jess Ferriera (Sr., Cambridge, Mass.) doubled and Karina Bolster (FY, Carlisle, Pa.) singled her home.
The only other scoring came in the fifth inning as Simmons' Sam Green (Sr., Bridgewater, Mass.) had a one out single and Leah Derderian (Jr. Boylston, Mass.) blasted a home run to left center field.
Collier got the win for Simmons which improved to 15-22. The win advances Simmons to the 4:00pm game against the winner of the Pine Manor-Rivier game.
Suffolk (22-15) was eliminated from the tournament with its second loss.