Simmons Softball swept the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University on Friday, picking up two Great Northeast Athletic Conference wins, 7-3 and 6-5. The Sharks kept their momentum from Thursday's wins over Mount Ida, and now advance to 9-4, 4-2 in the GNAC. With the losses, JWU falls to 1-12 overall, 1-5 in GNAC play.

Game One

In the first game of the day, Simmons got on the board early when four unearned runs in the top of the first put the visiting Sharks up 4-0. With one out, junior Courteney Collier (Bolton, Mass.) drew a walk and the next batter, junior Annie Thompson (Pacific Palisades, Calif.), was hit by a pitch. With two runners on, sophomore Ashley Wheeler (Nashua, N.H.) hit a hard shot that was misplayed by the centerfielder, allowing Collier and Thompson to score. Senior Leah Derderian (Boylston, Mass.) then hit a hard grounder to the shortstop who couldn't handle the play. Colligan followed with an RBI single and freshman Cailin Pagel (Dorchester, Mass.) hit a long fly to center, scoring Derderian. Those four runs would prove to be enough for the Sharks as Collier went to work on the mound, allowing only five hits through seven innings, and striking out six.

JWU threatened in the third by scoring three runs off of three hits, including a three run home run by the third baseman. The Sharks added three insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Pagel led off with a single. Junior Emily Nalband (Litchfield, Conn.) reached on a walk and Collier struck out, but the Wildcats' catcher couldn't handle the third strike and overthrew first base, allowing Pagel to score. Thompson followed with a stinging line drive to right field that was dropped, allowing Nalband and Collier to score and making the score 7-3 where it would stay for the rest of the game.

Game Two

JWU jumped out to the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the nightcap when sophomore Holliann Barry led off with a single and scored on an RBI single by sophomore Amy Fish.

Simmons knotted the game at 1-1 in the top of the second and then took the 2-1 advantage in the top of the fourth. The Sharks broke the game open in the top of the fifth when they tallied four runs, including a three run home run by Thompson to take the 6-1 lead.

The Wildcats rallied in the bottom of the frame when a two-run home run by sophomore Olivia England cut the lead to 6-3. JWU added two more in the bottom of the sixth when a double by freshman Mackenzie Pickerd plated two runs to close the gap to just one run, but Hodgkins and the Sharks stellar defense silenced the threat and secured the win.

That would be as close as the Wildcats would get, as Simmons held on for the 6-5 victory. Thompson was 4-for-4 with a run and three singles and a two-run home run in the win for the Sharks, while England went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI for the Wildcats in the setback.

Sophomore Sami Hodgkins (Putney, Vt.) made her college starting debut in the circle and gained her first win of the season. Hodgkins went the distance for Simmons, striking out 8 batters on the way.

Simmons will face the Cadets of Norwich University in a home matchup at UMass Boston on Sunday, March 28 at noon.