Haggerty Walk-Off Leads Softball to Split with Simmons

AUBURN, Mass.—A walk-off double from senior Elizabeth Haggerty (Charlton, Mass.) brought the Anna Maria College softball team to a 8-7 victory over the Sharks of Simmons College in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one on Saturday night. Simmons rallied for a 10-9 win in the nightcap.

GAME ONE – ANNA MARIA 8, SIMMONS 7 (NINE INNINGS)

The AMCATS opened the day with a two-run first inning, as Amanda Lemire (Methuen, Mass.)  led off with a single and Haggerty followed with a double. They both scored on a single up the left side by Jacqueline Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.)

The Sharks responded with one run in the second as Taylor LeBrun (Milford, Mass) tripled to left field to score Dominique Or scored (Lawrence, Mass.) from first base.

Following a scoreless third inning, the AMCATS added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Lapierre led off with a single to center field. Hannah Trudo () singled to left field to score Lapierre from third. Pingeton scored the fourth run of the game as Kayla Magierowski (Spencer, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice.  

Simmons responded with two more runs in the fifth to bring the score to 4-3 AMCATS.  Emma D'Arpino (Johnston, R.I.) led off the top of the inning with a bunt and scored on a triple from Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.). Michaela Reeves (Reading, Mass.) followed with a single to score Rastello from third.

The AMCATS added one more run in the sixth inning before the Sharks came out strong in the top of the seventh tallying two runs in the top of the seventh. A triple from Reeves scored Rastello from third and a single from Heather White (Westfield, Mass). scored Reeves.

Both teams added runs in the eighth and after the Sharks took a 7-6 lead over the AMCATS in the top of the ninth, the AMCATS responded with a walk-off double from Liz Haggerty to score Sarah Coley (Worcester, Mass.) and Taylor Gould (Storrs, Conn.) for the win.

First year pitcher Ally Hamelin (Greenfield, Mass.) (3-5) earned the victory for Anna Maria, allowing seven runs (five earned) on 14 hits and three walks to go with a pair of strikeouts in nine complete innings. Sophomore reliever Cat Record (Cotuit, Mass.) (0-2) was tagged for the loss for Simmons, giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk .

GAME TWO – SIMMONS 10, ANNA MARIA 9

The Sharks jumped out to a 9-2 lead, before the AMCATS chipped away to make it a one-run game late in game two. 

Anna Maria got on the board first when Lapierre singled home a run for a 1-0 lead. Simmons responded with three runs in the second. Ortiz, Reeves and Gauvin loaded the bases with a hit each before Caracciolo cleared the bases with a two-out single to left. The AMCATS got a run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Magierowski to cut the margin to 3-2.

The Sharks looked to break the game open with a six-run fourth, keyed by four doubles, to take a 9-2 advantage. Caracciolo and Ortiz each cranked two-run doubles, while Gauvin also knocked in a run with a double in the frame. The AMCATS answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the score to 9-5. First year shortstop Victoria Falco (Marlborough, Mass.) hit a two-run triple and later scored herself on a Lapierre ground out.

Anna Maria tacked on another run in the fifth when Coley laced a leadoff single and scored on a triple from Lemire to pull the home team to within 9-6. Carreira drove in another run with a single in the sixth to make it 9-7.

Simmons added an insurance run in the seventh that proved to be extremely valuable. Caracciolo singled home the 10th run of the contest for the visitors. Haggerty reached on a one-out single.

Falco and Lapierre repeated their fourth inning fortune for the AMCATS with Falco hitting a run-scoring triple down the left field line to plate Haggerty and then scoring on a Lapierre ground out to make it 10-9. 

Record earned her first collegiate victory to improve to 1-2 for the Sharks after pitching the final three and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk to go with a strikeout. Senior starting pitcher Angela Vousboukis (Swampscott, Mass.) (0-9) suffered the loss for Anna Maria, giving up nine runs (five earned) in three and two-thirds innings on 12 hits, while fanning a batter.

WHAT'S NEXT

Simmons returns to action tomorrow with a noon doubleheader vs. GNAC rival Rivier University to be played in Newton, Mass. at Taylor Field on the campus of Lasell College, while the AMCATS head to Boston for a twinbill with Emmanuel College on Clemente Field at 12:00 p.m.