BOSTON, Mass.- In their first contest in eleven days, the Norwich Softball team returned to action Sunday afternoon with a twin bill against Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division foe Emmanuel, when the Cadets earned a split.

The Saints jumped out to an early three-run advantage in game one, before the Cadets closed the gap in the fourth. Courtney Thomas (Strafford, N.H.) led off with a single, which was followed by a Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) ground rule double. Emily Munson (Angleton, Texas) kept the hit parade going, driving home Thomas with an RBI single.
After Emmanuel wiggled out of danger, they would double their lead in the fifth. Both sides scratched across runs in the seventh, with Norwich's coming on an RBI double by Madison DeCota (Strafford, N.H.), bringing home Adelette Gutierrez (Cameron, N.C.) to end the scoring in the opener. Munson and Gutierrez finished game one going three for three. 

The second contest opened with the Saints jumping ahead, but the Cadets quickly answered. DeCota shot the left center field gap with one out before Thomas brought her home with an infield single. A McGinn single put runners on the corners, and with two down, Rachel Kempf (Warwick, R.I.) plated Thomas to give Norwich the lead.

The two teams traded three spots in the fourth. On the Norwich side, it started with back-to-back base hits for Gutierrez and Hailey Williams (Tamaqua, Pa.). The pair moved up a station on a wild pitch before coming home on a DeCota double to tie the contest. McGinn plated DeCota on a groundout to short to regain the lead for Norwich.

In the following frame, the Cadets padded their lead. Back-to-back walks to Kennedy White (Randolph Center, Vt.) and Brianna Vitale (Rock Tavern, N.Y.) set the table. The two runners moved over to second and third before Williams drove in White with an RBI single, and DeCota plated Grace Richardson (Phoenix, Ariz.), who pinch ran for Vitale, extending the lead to three.

McGinn earned her second victory of the season in the circle, while White brought home the win with her first career save while holding Emmanuel hitless in three innings of work. At the plate, Williams (3-4, Run, 2B), and DeCota (3-4, 2 Runs, 3 RBI, 2 2Bs) led the way in Norwich's first win over Emmanuel since 2017.

Norwich will continue GNAC North action in their next contest when they visit New England College on April 8 at 2 PM.