BOSTON, Mass. – Junior pitcher Juliet Nelson (Cumberland, R.I.) combined on a no-hitter and senior catcher Alison Gauvin (Whitefield, Maine) knocked in two runs to lead the Simmons College softball team to an 11-0 victory over visiting Wentworth Institute of Technology this evening in the first-ever collegiate softball game played on Daly Field in Brighton, Mass. The game was halted after five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. The Sharks improve to 4-7 on the season, while the Leopards fall to 0-11. 

The no-hitter was the first for Simmons pitching since Amanda Cordeiro tossed a five-inning no-hitter over Rhode Island College on March 12, 2013.

Nelson hurled three innings of no-hit ball, while allowing just one base-runner via a walk for Simmons. She also struck out four batters to improve to 4-2 on the season. Nelson contributed at the plate as well, going 2-2 with a run batted in, a triple and two runs scored. Gauvin was 2-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Sophomore left fielder Sam Curran (Concord, N.H.) contributed with two hits in three trips to the plate and scored a pair of runs, while first year second baseman Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) was 1-2 with a double, a walk and a run batted in. First year pitcher Alex Soqui (Acushnet, Mass.) threw two hitless frames to close out the game for the Sharks and yielded a pair of walks to go with a strikeout. 

First year third baseman Haley Hohlmaier (Johnston, R.I.) worked a walk and stole a base for Wentworth, while junior second baseman Megan Berryman (Middleboro, Mass.) and sophomore first baseman Libby White (Pittsfield, Mass.) each drew a walk as well for the visitors. Sophomore starting pitcher Erica Norquist (Rutland, Mass.) (0-6) suffered the loss for the visitors, allowing 11 runs (five earned) on 11 hits in four innings, while issuing two free passes and fanning a batter. 

Simmons scored three times in the bottom of the second, five in the third and crossed the plate three more times in the fourth. The Sharks took advantage of a pair of errors in the second and received a run-scoring double from Del Vacchio to key the three-run inning. 

Simmons took an 8-0 lead following the third, benefitting from three WIT errors in the frame and an RBI triple off the bat of Nelson and a sacrifice fly from sophomore right fielder Michaela Reeves (Reading, Mass.). Sophomore first baseman Alexandra Moleski (Bridgeport, Conn.), senior third baseman Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) and Gauvin all singled and scored in the inning as well. 

Curran stroked a leadoff single to begin the fourth for the Sharks and first year Angela Meunier (Southbridge, Mass.) reached on an infield hit for her first collegiate base knock. Soqui worked a walk to load the bases to set up a one-out RBI ground out from Rastello. Gauvin plated the final two runs of the game with a triple to right center field to make it 11-0. 

The Leopards threatened in the top of the fifth when White drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third with one out on a ground out to the pitcher. Soqui was able to strand the runner for Simmons, thanks to a grounder to short and a strikeout. 

The Sharks will be in action again on Saturday, April 1 when they host Lasell College in doubleheader action at 2:00 p.m. on Daly Field to open the Great Northeast Athletic Conference slate, while Wentworth hosts Commonwealth Coast Conference foe Eastern Nazarene College in a 3:30 p.m. twinbill on March 31.