NEWTON, Mass. – The Norwich softball team picked up a crucial Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader split with Simmons College on Monday afternoon at Lasell College.
The Cadets (14-10, 9-7 GNAC) outlasted the Sharks 8-6 in Game 1, before Simmons (16-11, 12-4 GNAC) came back to mercy NU in the nightcap 8-0 in six innings. The split with the third-place Sharks moved Norwich into a tie for sixth place with St. Joseph (Conn.).
Norwich jumped out to 4-0 lead with a four runs in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Abby Belcher (Winthrop, Mass.) and Kaylie Miller (Long Lake, N.Y.) delivered RBI hits for the Cadets in the inning.
Simmons answered back with four runs of their own to tie it in the bottom of the third. Amanda Gould smashed a two-run home run to cap the inning and tie the game up at four.
However, Norwich regained the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning with freshman Kelly Travers (Whitman, Mass.) scoring on a wild pitch and sophomore first baseman Erin Clark (Bradford, Vt.) delivering a two-RBI single to plate Melissa Rome (Enfield, Conn.) and Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.).
Baita not only picked up the win on the mound, but she also helped herself at the plate finishing the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored and added an RBI in the top of the sixth when she drove home Travers for the Cadets' eighth run.
Baita went the distance on the mound surrendering six earned runs on 14 hits and three walks while striking out six. She improved to 7-5 on the season in the circle.
In Game 2, Simmons scored at least one run in every inning but the fourth on its way to downing Norwich 8-0 in six innings. Hannah Cunningham, Emily Cunningham, Gould and Alaina DeNoncour each finished with two hits to pace the Sharks' offense.
Travers notched two hits to complete a 4-for-7 day at the plate for Norwich and regain the team batting average lead. Belcher and Rome each added a hit to round out the Cadets' highlights in the nightcap.
Kaylie Miller went four innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits to fall to 5-5 on the year. Freshman Stephanie Lamy (Bedford, N.H.) worked the final two innings in relief and gave up her first runs of the season in her fourth appearance on the mound for Norwich.
The Cadets return to action on Wednesday when they host Pine Manor at the NU Softball Field with first pitch for the GNAC doubleheader scheduled at 3 p.m. The Gators currently sit in 12th place with a 4-12 record. Last year, Pine Manor played spoiler and dealt a serious blow to Norwich's playoff chances by sweeping the Cadets in the final week of the season.
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