THE BASICS  

Score: 
#2N Simmons University, 6 – #3N Saint Joseph's College (ME), 0 

Records: 
Simmons Sharks (25-11-1)
Saint Joseph's Monks  (18-17) 

Location: Boston, Mass. – Clemente Field 

Date: Thursday, May 5, 2022 

THE LEAD – Senior Maddie Castigliego (Bristol, R.I.) tossed a complete-game one-hit shutout to power Simmons University to a 6-0 victory over Saint Joseph's College (ME), in the opening round of the 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference softball tournament played at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston, Mass. 

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Sharks jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first which proved to be more than enough for Castigliego. Sophomoore Jordyn Rubin (Lewiston, Maine) drove in the first run of the afternoon with an RBI double and came around to make it 2-0 later in the inning on a throwing error. Simmons third run was also the result of a Saint Joseph's miscue to account for the three-run lead through one inning of play. 
• In the bottom of the third, Simmons added two more runs to bump the lead to 5-0 as grad student Christie Bott (Seaford, N.Y.) delivered an RBI single the opposite way to make it 4-0. Bott came around to score in the middle of a run-down, crossing home before the final out of the frame to account for the 5-0 score after three. 
• Castigliego flirted with perfection, retiring the first 15 batters she faced until first year Syliva Foley (Scarborough, Maine) found a hole in left centerfield for a double to lead off the sixth for the Monks but the senior would strand the runner at second to keep the score at 5-0. 
• Simmons plated its final run of the game in the sixth on a solo home run to center by senior catcher Shannon McMahon (El Cajon, Calif.), her fourth of the year, to account for the 6-0 final. 
  
  
  INSIDE THE NUMBERS  
• Castigliego improves to 24-11 on the year in the circle, allowing just the one hit while striking out eight in the win. 
• SJM junior starting pitcher Meredith Pence (9-7) allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits over 5.0 innings of work, striking out seven before giving way to junior Emily Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) to work the sixth, allowing one run on one hit. 
• McMahon finished the game going 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored. 
• Senior shortstop Allie Mulhern (Westford, Mass.) was the only other Shark to record two hits in the win, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. 
  
  UP NEXT 

• Simmons returns to action later this evening to face Emmanuel College, the top seed of the North Division, at 7:00 PM. 
• Saint Joseph's will play next on Saturday, May 7 against #1S Albertus Magnus College at 9:30 AM in Boston, Mass. in the first elimination game of the 2022 GNAC Softball tournament. The Falcons fell to #2S Johnson & Wales University earlier today, 10-2.

COURTESY OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION