Softball Wins GNAC Playoff Game
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – University of St. Joseph freshman Patti Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) pitched a four-hitter and twin sister Mary had two hits and two RBI as the Blue Jays defeated Simmons 3-1 Thursday in the first round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament.
St. Joseph improved to 31-10 and extended its single-season school record for wins in a season. Simmons finished 22-13. USJ advanced to the four-team, double-elimination portion of the tournament Friday through Sunday at a site to be announced.
USJ took a 1-0 first-inning lead. With two out, Emily Hummel (Hebron, Conn.) singled up the middle, Ashley Gall (Stafford Springs, Conn.) walked and Patti Sciglimpaglia walked. Mary Sciglimpaglia then reached on an infield single deep in the shortstop hole and Hummel scored.
Patti Sciglimpaglia and Simmons pitcher Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) dominated the next few innings as neither team was able to mount a scoring threat. Simmons finally broke through in the top of the fifth. Ari King (Westford, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, Jen Field (Windham, Maine) singled to left and Cailin Pagel (Dorchester, Mass.) hit a bleeder behind the mound for an infield single that loaded the bases with no out. Mikaela Caracciolo (N. Attleboro, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly and King scored to tie the game. But Patti Sciglimpaglia worked out of the inning, inducing a fly out and getting help from Mary behind the plate who picked off a runner to end the inning.
The Blue Jays scored the eventual winning runs in the bottom of the fifth. Haley McCall (Lebanon, Conn.) doubled to lead off for USJ and went to third on a bunt by Stephanie Valerio (Wolcott, Conn.) Hummel then delivered a single into short right field to McCall with a go-ahead run. Hummel went to second on a walk to Gall and came home on Mary Sciglimpaglia's single down the left field line.
Simmons had only one runner reach over the final two innings and Patti Sciglimpaglia secured the final out on a pop-up. She allowed four singles, one walk and struck out 11 to improve to 13-5 on the season. Backhaus (13-6) struck out nine, walked two and allowed six hits in six innings. Hummel and Mary Sciglimpaglia each finished with two hits for USJ. Emily Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) had two hits for Simmons.
"We got a tremendous win today against a very good, well-coached team," USJ coach Jim McKinnon said. "Patti did a terrific job keeping their hitters off balance and we had some timely hitting. Defensively, we played very well and we need to do that to continue to win."