Springfield, Mass. (April 20) -- On Sunday afternoon, the Saint Anselm softball team rallied in both games of a doubleheader at American International to pick up the sweep of the Yellow Jackets. The Hawks won both games in the eighth inning, taking game one by a 7-6 margin and the second by a 5-4 final.

Game One
In game one, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning before the Hawks put together a three-run second to take a 3-2 advantage. That rally was keyed by a two-RBI double down the left field line by Jackie Giannino (Beverly, Mass.) that scored Katherine Theodorou (Glen Cove, N.Y.) and Megan Lemire (Worcester, Mass.). AIC answered back with a four-run, four-hit barrage in the third and had the game in control at 6-3 after three innings.

Saint Anselm chipped away with a single run in the fifth as Nicole Baginski (Beverly, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch and then added a pair of unearned runs in the sixth to tie the game at 6-6. The Hawks took the first game in the eighth inning after Raylyn Glavin (Saugus, Mass.) reached on a single through the right side and came home on an RBI double to center by Baginski for the winning run. Katie Corey (Weymouth, Mass.) went the distance to get the win for the Hawks.

Game Two
In game two, the Hawks gave up single runs in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings before everything was wiped clean by a Giannino grand slam in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4. In the eighth, Giannino kept the offense going with her fifth RBI of the day that scored Theresa Foley (Byfield, Mass.) with the eventual winning run. Lemire picked up the win for the Hawks as she went scattered 10 hits with four runs and one strikeout in eight innings of work.

Saint Anselm now sits at 18-12 overall and 12-8 in the Northeast-10, while American International falls to 16-21 overall and 7-15 in the league. The Hawks are back in action on Tuesday afternoon as the team travels to Bryant University for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. in Smithfield, R.I.