Rivier Has Big Day in GNAC Tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rivier | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 |
|
St. Joseph (Conn.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rivier | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
|
Emerson | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 3 |
Wenham, Mass. - Fifth seeded Rivier College upset fourth seeded St. Joseph College and then knocked of top seed Emerson College in extra innings to advance through the winner's bracket in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball Championship tournament held at Gordon College.
The Raiders won the second game after rallying from a 6-1 deficit after two innings. Rivier got a run in the third and four in the fifth to tie the score and send the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth inning, with Amanda Thornton '13 (Hanover, Mass.) placed on second base by the tie-breaker rule, Karen Waterman '12 (Rutland, Vt.) bunted for a base hit moving Thornton to third. After a strikeout, Lauren Beatty '14 (Sherman, Conn.) walked to load the bases. Number nine hitter Myranda Knight '14 (Anson, Maine) them picked up her second single of the day to drive in Thornton and move Waterman to third.
Emerson pitcher Kelsey Tuthill '12 (Middlefield, Conn.) then picked up another strikeout. During the next at bat Tuthill committed a balk as a gnat flew into her eye during her delivery to allow Rivier's second run of the extra frame.
Emerson got one run back in the bottom of the inning and had the bases loaded with no outs, but Beatty induced the Lions to ground into a double play and loft a routine fly to left to end the game. Beatty picked up the win in relief of Hillary Tarr '14 (North Easton, Mass.).
In the first game, the Raiders' Amanda Ryan '11 (West Bridgewater, Mass.) gave Rivier all the runs it would need with a monsterous home run to left centerfield in the third inning. Tarr came into the game for injured starter Nadjeska Reynolds '13 (Hamden, Conn.) after just two batters and picked up the seven inning win in relief.
Saturday's games feature St. Joseph (Conn.) College against Simmons College at 10:00am in the first elimination game. Emerson will play Johnson & Wales University in the second elimination game at noon. Rivier and St. Joseph's (Maine) College will play at 2:00pm, followed by an elimination game featuring the winners of the 10:00am and 12:00pm games. All games will be played at Gordon College.
