BOSTON – The Norwich University softball team swept a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) games against Emmanuel (Mass.) on Sunday afternoon.
The Cadets (12-8 overall, 6-4 GNAC) won the opener 9-1 in six innings before pounding the Saints 19-1 in the second game of the doubleheader in five innings. Both games were shortened due to the mercy rule.
After battling through two frames scoreless, Norwich capitalized on Emmanuel (Mass.) committing two errors and exploded for six runs in the third inning to pull away from the Saints for good.
Sophomore leadoff hitter Abby Belcher (Winthrop, Mass.) paced the Norwich offense with two hits and three RBIs in Game 1. Freshman Kelly Travers (Whitman, Mass.) also smashed a two-run homer in the third inning to make it 4-0 Cadets.
Sophomore Kaylie Miller (Long Lake, N.Y.) threw six strong innings, surrendering just one run on four hits while striking out three. She improved her record to 5-3 on the season with the win.
In Game 2, the Norwich offense combined to pound out 24 hits as the Cadets scored a season-high 19 runs en route to a 19-1 thrashing of Emmanuel (4-20, 2-10 GNAC).
Freshman Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) earned the win on the mound and helped herself immensely at the plate with a 4-for-5 day, including a home run and eight RBIs to lead the Cadets to the victory. She threw all five innings allowing no earned runs on three hits and striking out three. Baita increased her record to 5-4 on the year with the win.
Junior Noel Byers (Iron Mountain, Mich.) had two hits and three RBIs, while Kim Comtois (Northwood, N.H.) and Erin Clark (Oxbow, Vt.) chipped in two hits and two RBIs a piece as well.
Norwich returns to the diamond on Friday when it hosts Rivier in a GNAC doubleheader. The Cadets currently sit sixth in the conference standings while Rivier is just head of them in fifth sporting a 9-3 mark in GNAC play.
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