NASHUA, N.H. – The Rivier softball team's offense flashed on Wednesday evening in a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division victories over Anna Maria at Raider Diamond. Anna Maria served as the home team for both contests.
The Raiders improved to 17-13 (9-3 GNAC) with the victories, while the AMCATS fell to 10-18 (4-8 GNAC).
Rivier returns to the action on Friday, April 25 for its third consecutive GNAC divisional doubleheader against New England Col. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Raider Diamond.
Rivier 11, Anna Maria 0 (6 inn.)
With two outs in the top of the first inning, a single up the middle off the bat of junior Olivia Couto allowed senior Sarah Frazier to come home, giving Rivier an early 1-0 lead.
Rivier scored once in the top of the third and fourth inning to make it a 3-0 advantage. Couto recorded her second RBI single of the contest in the top of the third to score graduate student Hannah Muchemore and double the Raiders' lead. A passed ball combined with a throwing error brough Frazier home in the fourth, putting Riv up by three.
A fielding error in center field resulted in two more Raiders crossing the plate in the top of the fifth inning, increasing their lead to 5-0. The next batter, sophomore Sophia Quinlan, recorded a sacrifice fly to score junior Avry Nelson and make it a six-run Rivier lead.
Following an inning-opening walk and stolen base from sophomore Hayleigh Silva in the top of the sixth inning, Muchemore stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-run homer over the fence in left-center field, giving Rivier an 8-0 advantage. A three RBI double to right-center field from Quinlan made it 11-0 and capped off the scoring for the Raiders in game one.
Three quick outs from the Rivier defense put away the AMCATS and secured the 11-0 victory.
Sophomore Hailey Berube went six scoreless innings in the circle, recording five strikeouts, allowing three hits. Junior Kylee Caetano, Couto, Muchemore, and Nelson each recorded two hits followed by Quinlan contributing a team high four RBI.
Rivier 10, Anna Maria 6
The Raiders got out in front on a sacrifice fly ball to center field from Hannah Muchemore following a leadoff double from Hayleigh Silva to give Rivier a 1-0 lead.
Following a scoreless second inning for both squads, the Raiders extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third. Muchemore launched an RBI double off the wall in left center field to double the Rivier lead. With two outs, Kylee Caetano contributed a single through the left side to score Muchemore and give the Raiders a 3-0 advantage. Anna Maria answered for one Rivier run on the bottom half of the frame on an RBI walk drawn with bases loaded.
The Raiders reclaimed their three-run lead on an RBI single from Muchemore to allow Sophia Quinlan to cross the plate.
Rivier's sixth and seventh runs crossed the plate in the top of the fifth inning on back-to-back RBI doubles off the bats of senior Courtney Marioles and Quinlan extending the Raiders' advantage to 7-1.
Rivier tacked on another run in the top of the sixth, thanks to an RBI single to center field from Caetano. The AMCATS got one back in the bottom of the sixth inning, as a result of a RBI single to right center, cutting the Raiders' lead to 8-2.
A Muchemore single through the left side with one out in the top of the seventh scored Quinlan and Sarah Frazier, extending Rivier's lead to 10-2. Anna Maria added four more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Marioles entered the game in relief with two outs and the tying run at the plate and forced a ground out to earn the save and secure the 10-6 victory for the Raiders.
Hayley Rapaglia went 6.2 innings in the circle, tying her career-high strikeouts with eight. Marioles recorded her first save of the season, closing things out with a groundout. Muchemore was the offensive clubhouse leader, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a team-high five RBI. Caetano and Quinlan also recorded three hits each, with Caetano adding two RBI and Quinlan contributing two doubles and an RBI. Marioles rounded out the book with two RBI and a double of her own.
