Simmons Softball closed out their post-season run with a Fourth place finish in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament, following an 8-2 loss to #4 seed Pine Manor College in the tournament's afternoon Semifinals.

The Sharks entered the GNAC Tournament seeded eighth, and upset #5 seed Norwich University, 13-7, to advance to the quarterfinals.

After dropping Friday's quarterfinal game, also to Pine Manor College, 1-0, Simmons turned around to take the morning Semifinal on Saturday against #3 seed Suffolk, 4-1.

Saturday Semifinal One vs. Suffolk. W, 4-1

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the second. Courteney Collier (Bolton, Mass.) and Meredith Burr (Londonderry, N.H.) had advanced to second and first when Stephanie Murray (Groveland, Mass.) hit a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, and advanced the Sharks runners to third and second. A single by Annie Thompson (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) earned the sophomore 2RBIs, and helped Burr and Collier score the first two runs of the day.

Suffolk scored their lone run of the game in the top of the third, when Jess Ferreira doubled and Karina Bolster singled, RBI.

Simmons scored twice more in the bottom of the fifth. Sam Green (Bridgewater, Mass.) singled to left field, and Leah Derderian (Boylston, Mass.) homered, earning 2 RBIs.

Collier pitched all seven innings for the win, holding Suffolk to just three hits and one run.

Saturday Semifinal Two vs. Pine Manor. L, 8-2

Thompson hit a home run to start the bottom of the first, putting one run on the scoreboard for the Sharks. Emily Nalband (Litchfield, Conn.) reached first after an error by Pine Manor third baseman Kayla Nielsen. Green singled and Derderian walked, advancing Green and Nalband. Designated hitter Amanda Gould (Fremont, N.H.) walked to advance Green to third, and scored Nalband.

Pine Manor scored three runs in the top of the third and fifth, and one in the second and fourth to drive their run total to 8.

Sammi Letizio (Windham, N.H.) pitched three innings and Collier pitched four to take the 8-2 loss.