Saint Anselm Takes Softball Doubleheader at AIC

Box Score - Game 1; Box Score - Game 2

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Saint Anselm rallied from a pair of early deficits to sweep a doubleheader over the American International College softball team Sunday afternoon at Groff Field, taking game-one 7-6 and game-two 5-4. Both games ended in eight innings. The Hawks improved to 18-12 on the season and 12-8 in the Northeast-10, while the Yellow Jackets dropped to 16-21 overall and 7-15 in conference play. Junior Ashley Deegan (Madison, Conn.) went 5 for 8 at the dish and drove in four runs for AIC.

Saint Anselm took the lead for good in game-one in the top of the eighth when junior Nicole Baginski (Beverly, Mass.) doubled to center field to score classmate Jane Beaudry (Worcester, Mass.) from first base. Sophomore Katie Corey (Weymouth, Mass.) set AIC down in the bottom half of the inning to secure the 7-6 win. She tossed all eight innings, allowing 13 hits and six earned runs.

The Yellow Jackets led 2-0 after the first inning after Deegan singled up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded, but Saint Anselm answered with three runs in the second on a two-RBI double for freshman Jaclyn Giannino (Beverly, Mass.) and a RBI single from classmate Raylyn Glavin (Saugus, Mass.).

AIC came up with four more runs in the third. Senior Tara DeMontier (Amesbury, Mass.) got things going with a RBI single to center field and classmate Kayla Donnelly (Pittsfield, Mass.) then scored on a passed ball to give the Yellow Jackets a 4-3 lead. Deegan then delivered her second two-RBI single of the game with runners on second and third to give AIC a 6-3 lead after three.

Saint Anselm got one run back in the fifth and then tied the game with two runs in the sixth. AIC threatened to push the winning run across in the bottom of the seven as DeMontier and junior Deanna Zanetti (Hampden, Mass.) both got on base to lead off the inning, but the Yellow Jackets were unable to advance the runners and further.

AIC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game-two when DeMontier singled to center field, scoring junior Kellie Brown (Gill, Mass.) from second base. The Yellow Jackets added runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-0 lead before Giannino crushed a two-out grand slam to tie the game in the top of the sixth.

The Hawks took their only lead of the game two innings later sophomore Theresa Foley (Byfield, Mass.) scored on Giannino's single up the middle for the 5-4 final. Sophomore Megan Lemire (Worcester, Mass.) went he distance for Saint Anselm, allowing four runs on 10 hits.

Senior Megan Nickerson (Greenfield, Mass.) took the loss in both games for AIC. She pitched a complete game in game-two, allowing five runs on 10 hits, and allowed one run on three hits in 2.2 innings of relief work in game-one.

Giannino finished the day 4 for 7 at the plate with seven RBIs and three runs scored for the Hawks. DeMontier had three hits, two RBIs and a run scored for AIC, while Brown and sophomore Michelle Franey (Abingtin, Mass.) each went 4 for 9 on the day.

AIC will once again try to get head coach Judy Groff her 900th career win when the Yellow Jackets host a doubleheader against Southern Connecticut Thursday at 3 p.m.