The Suffolk University Softball team and Simmons College Sharks split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Suffolk took game one 9-4, before Simmons earned the split with a 2-1 victory in game two.
Game One: Suffolk 9 Simmons 4
Freshman Delaney Sylvester (Worcester, Mass.) was 2-for-4 with three RBI in game one as Suffolk put together a 13-hit attack in the opener.
Both Simmons and Suffolk traded runs in the first inning. The Sharks got things going as junior Mikaela Caracciolo (North Attleboro, Mass.) drew a walk with one out. She would later come around to score the game's first run on an outfield error as the Sharks built the 1-0 lead.
Suffolk would answer in their half of the inning. Freshman Devlin Frost (Tewksbury, Mass.) led the game off with a base hit. Back to back singles by sophomore Kristen Young (Windsor, Conn.) and freshman Madison Eucalitto (Old Saybrook, Conn.) would load the bases with nobody out. Senior Nicole Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) would knock in the lone run of the inning for Suffolk as her fielder's choice brought home Frost.
Suffolk would add three runs in the second. Senior Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) would lead the inning off with a walk and come around to score later on an infield error. Frost would add an RBI with a sacrifice fly, before Young capped the inning off with a base hit as Suffolk built a 4-1 lead through two innings.
Simmons would score a run in the third when Caracciolo led the inning off with a home run to center. The round tripper was her second of the season.
Another outfield error in the fifth would bring home two more runs for Simmons as seniors Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) and Hannah Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) came around to score to even the game at 4-4.
Suffolk would answer again in the home half of the fifth as Eucalitto doubles to lead the inning off. After Rosa reached on an error by the catcher, Sylvester brought home the go ahead runs with a triple. Freshan Morgan Parmeter (Maynard, Mass.) tripled to left later in the inning bringing home another run as Suffolk built a 7-4 lead.
The 1-2-3 in the Suffolk lineup combined for eight hits in the opener as Frost was a perfect 3-for-3 with a run and RBI. Young was 3-for-4 with a run, RBI and a pair of stolen bases with Eucalitto was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Game Two: Simmons 2 Suffolk 1
Freshman Juliet Nelson (Cumberland, R.I.) won a pitcher's duel in game two as Simmons came away with a 2-1 victory. Nelson allowed just five this over seven innings of work as one run to earn her fourth win of the year.
Suffolk scored their lone run of the game in the fourth when Sylvester drove in Young with a sacrifice fly to center. Young opened the inning with a base hit and would steal second base. After a walk to Eucalitto, Rosa would load the bases with a base hti before Sylvester drove in Suffolk's lone run of the contest.
Simmons would score both of their runs in the sixth inning thanks to a pair of Suffolk miscues. Carracciolo led the frame off reaching on an outfield error before sophomore Janyne Sierra (Everett, Mass.) reached on an infield error. Sierra would score the Sharks' first run of the game later in the inning on a wild pitch. Nelson would help out her own cause as she drew the third consecutive Sharks' walk of the winning forcing home another run, which would turn out to be the eventual game winner.
The split moves Simmons to a 10-9 overall record on the season and 7-3 mark in GNAC play. They will be back in action on Monday when they host Lasell College beginning at 3:30pm.
Suffolk moves to a 17-5 overall record as their 11-game win streak was snapped in game two. They are now 12-2 in conference play on the year and will resume their doubleheader from last week with Johnson & Wales on Tuesday beginning at 3:30pm.