MANCHESTER, N.H. – The regionally-ranked Saint Anselm College softball team secured a pair of shutout wins to sweep Southern Connecticut State University in Thursday's Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader by scores of 3-0 and 2-0.
With the wins, the Hawks improved to 24-13-1 on the season with a 14-7-1 record in conference contests while the Owls drop to 13-27 overall and 7-15 in NE10 play. Saint Anselm concludes its 2023 regular season on Friday, Apr. 27 with a conference twinbill against the University of New Haven. In between games one and two of the doubleheader, the Hawks will honor their Class of 2023 with a Senior Day ceremony.
Sophomore
Ava Caputo (Waterford, N.Y.) led the Hawks with four hits on the day while senior
Kate Irwin (Milford, Mass.), junior
Hannah Ramer (Rehoboth, Mass.), sophomore
Alyssa Wironen (Leominster, Mass.), junior
Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.), and senior
Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) all collected three hits in the doubleheader.
Caputo was credited with two runs batted in with Ramer, Wironen, and Fitzpatrick collecting one RBI each.
Junior
Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) and senior
Ava Vincequere (Shrewsbury, Mass.) collected complete game wins on Thursday as the pair combined to allow just four hits, two by each. Hicks fanned nine and issued one free pass while Vincequere struck out six and walked three.
GAME ONE: Saint Anselm 3, Southern Connecticut State 0
Saint Anselm posted the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning as O'Hara kept the inning alive with a double down the left field line. She would come around to score on a single from Fitzpatrick, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks added a second run in the bottom of the second as Wironen registered a two-out single before Ramer doubled, scoring the sophomore from first to give Saint Anselm a 2-0 lead.
The Owls managed to get a runner to second in the top of the sixth as
Angela Barresi reached on a fielder's choice before advancing to second on a passed ball. However, Hicks managed to get a pop out and a strike out to strand the runner.
Saint Anselm pushed the lead to 3-0 in the bottom half of the frame as Fitzpatrick opened the inning with a single. Senior
Jess Persechino (Torrington, Conn.) would come on to pinch run for Fitzpatrick and would reach third following a pair of ground outs. Wironen converted on the scoring chance with a single up the middle.
Faith Barbieri would record a two-out single in the top of the seventh inning but Hicks got a strike out to close the contest, with the Hawks taking game one, 3-0.
GAME TWO: Saint Anselm 2, Southern Connecticut State 0
Southern Connecticut State managed to put runners on first and third with two outs in the top of the third inning but Vincequere rolled a ground ball to strand the pair.
The Hawks responded in the bottom half of the frame with the game's first run. Irwin opened with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a stolen base. She would score on a double from Caputo. The Hawks later in the inning loaded the bases on three straight singles but a line out and a fielder's choice limited Saint Anselm to just the one run.
The Owls got a leadoff double from
Paige Delier and would advance her to third on a sacrifice bunt. However, Vincequere fanned consecutive batters to strand the runner.
Southern Connecticut State was poised to push across its first run of the game as
Ally Petrella singled through the right side which allowed
Samantha Lafemina, who came on to pinch run following a leadoff walk, was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from sophomore
Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.), Fitzpatrick, and Wironen.
The Hawks added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Caputo singled through the left side with the bases loaded. Saint Anselm had a strong chance to tack on more runs but the Owls defense turned a double play to get out the jam.
After allowing a one-out walk, Vincequere would fan each of the next two batters to give the Hawks the 2-0 win.
