NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University softball team split its 2022 home opener on Sunday afternoon at the NU Softball Field vs. Rivier University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action. 

Norwich (6-8, 1-3 GNAC North) rallied to win Game 1 with a four-run bottom of the sixth to take a 6-3 victory in the opener. However, Rivier (4-14, 1-3 GNAC North) rallied to pick up the split with an 11-1 win in six innings in the second game. 

Freshman Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) had the go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Sophomore Annika Beebe (Marianna, Fla.) followed up with a two-run double off the top of the left field fence to make it 6-3 Cadets. 

McGinn led the Cadets' offense with three RBIs in the first game, while sophomore Laura Deaton (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) had two hits and sophomore Liliana Rolfe (Plainville, Mass.) added three more. 

Beebe started the game, throwing four shutout innings, before giving way to junior Allison Northup (Westerly, R.I.) for the final three innings. Northup gave up three earned runs, but picked up the victory for her second of the year. 

In Game 2, Norwich committed four errors and outhit Rivier, 8-7, but the Cadets couldn't string the offense together. Rivier's Sarah Frazier put a dagger in Norwich's hopes in the top of the fourth inning with a grand slam over the left center field fence to add to her team-high six RBIs on the day. 

Deaton went 2-for-3 along with Maggie Rasmussen (Kingston, N.H.) to lead the Norwich offense. Kennedy White (Randolph Center, Vt.) was saddled with the loss for the Cadets after throwing .2 innings and giving up two unearned runs. 

Norwich will host NVU Johnson on Thursday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in a non-conference doubleheader at the NU Softball Field.