The Suffolk University Rams and Rivier College Raiders split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Suffolk took game one in walk-off fashion with a 6-5 victory, before a five-run second inning in game two propeled the Raiders to victory.
Junior Mandi Thornton (Methuen, Mass.) drove home the game winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning with a single to plate sophomore Nikki Cignarella (Norwood, Mass.) for the Rams win.
Sophomore Erin McAndrews (Marblehead, Mass.) was 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run double in the third inning as Suffolk improved to a 10-18 mark and 4-11 posting with the early victory.
Freshman Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) picked up her fifth win of the season on the mound as she threw a complete game striking out 10 Raiders hitters in seven innings while allowing five runs on nine hits.
Junior Amanda Thornton (Hanover, Mass.) connected on a two-run homer in the fifth inning for the Raiders, while junior Marrisa Mercier (Brentwood, N.H.) was 1-for-3 with three runs knocked in for the Raiders.
In game two the Raiders used a five-run, six-hit second inning to pace themselves to an 8-4 victory as the move to a 20-6 overall season record and 12-4 mark in GNAC play.
Sophomore Nicole Peacock (Warwick, R.I.) was 3-for-4 in game two with a pair of RBI and sophomore Lauren Beatty (Sherman, Conn.) improved to 8-1 on the mound for the Raiders. Beatty allowed five hits in seven innings of work while striking out four hitters.
Chasse opened the game for the Rams with a home run, while freshman Nicole Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI for Suffolk.
Sophomore Kelsey Goodridge (Chelmsford, Mass.) had a pair of RBI doubles in the game for Rivier, who collected 11 hits as a team in the nightcap.
Rivier will be idle until next Friday as they host St. Joseph's College (ME) in a GNAC double header beginning at 4:00pm. Suffolk will travel to Curry College for a single non-conference game at 3:00pm on Tuesday afternoon.