Softball Sweeps Emmanuel

BOSTON, Mass. – The University of Saint Joseph softball team swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader from host Emmanuel College Sunday at Roberto Clemente Field.  The Blue Jays nipped the Saints, 4-3 in the first game and won handily in the second, 12-4 in six innings.

Saint Joseph is 15-9 overall and 7-5 in the GNAC, while Emmanuel slips to 8-18 overall, 3-11 in the conference.

Saint Joseph had a three-run rally in the third inning of game one to take a 3-0 lead. Freshman Haley McCall (Lebanon, Conn.) kicked things off when she singled to right field and stole second.  McCall was driven in by Stephanie Valerio (Wolcott, Conn.) who hit a single up the middle. Valerio kept things moving for USJ, as she stole second and was plated by Emily Hummel (Hebron, Conn.), on another single to right, which put the Blue Jays up, 2-0.  USJ would tack on its final run of the inning when Patti Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Hummel.

Emmanuel battled back with one run in the fourth and two in the sixth, but Saint Joseph got the game-winner home in the top of the seventh.  Valerio and Emily Hummel would reach after being by hit by pitches and Sciglimpaglia registered the game-winning RBI, as Hummel crossed the plate on her fielder's choice. Valerio was the lone Blue Jay with two hits.

Sciglimpaglia (7-4, 3.52 ERA) went the distance to win her fifth consecutive start. She allowed four hits, two earned runs and struck out two.

Saint Joseph piled up 13 hits in the late game, which was stopped after six innings via the mercy rule.

Hummel went 3-for-5 with four RBI for USJ and pitched five innings for her sixth win of the season. McCall went 2-for-4, scored three runs and drove in two. Mary Sciglimpaglia (three runs scored), Patti Sciglimpaglia and Hilary LaRosa (Meriden, Conn.) all had two hits apiece for St. Joseph.

St. Joseph hosts Daniel Webster Tue. April 9 in a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.