BOSTON, MA - Emerson softball hosted UMass Boston on Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader. The hosts prevailed over the Beacons in both games, winning by scores of 7-3 and 5-1. Makenzie Killough (Sr. - Attleboro, MA) had a career day for Emerson, getting credit for three RBIs in both games for six total on the day. Caleigh Sheehan (Fy. - Bolton, CT) pitched a complete game in the second contest to pick up her first win since March 15th. Emerson improves to 10-10 on the season while UMass Boston moves to 16-6.

GAME 1: Emerson 7, UMass Boston 3
Kit Zenga (So. - Los Angeles, CA) made her first start of the season in the circle for Emerson, while Emily Doble (Sr. - Danvers, MA) made her fourth for UMass Boston. The Beacons got on the board first in the second inning from a sac fly by Mya Perron (Fy. - Beverly, MA), but Emerson would make the score 3-1 in the third inning as an outfield error allowed three runners to cross home plate. Doble was replaced in the circle by Bri Melchionda (Sr. - Marshfield, MA), making her first relief appearance of the season, after the runners scored.

Perron delivered again for the Beacons in the fourth inning, driving in a runner on a single to right field to make it a one-run ballgame at 3-2. Emerson got the run back and more in the bottom half as Killough hit a two-run triple to get the Lions up 5-2. Emerson extended their lead again in the fifth, going up 7-2 as Zenga scored on a bases-loaded walk and Killough earned another RBI by driving one in on a bases-loaded groundout to first base. UMass Boston would score again in the sixth inning on an RBI double to left center by Melchionda, but they were blanked in the seventh as Emerson claimed the first game of the afternoon.

Zenga pitched four innings, allowing two runs and three hits to go with three strikeouts and a walk. She earned the win as her record improves to 1-1. Jessica Gomez finished the game for Emerson, allowing a run and two hits in the final three innings to go with two strikeouts and a walk. Doble gave up three runs (one earned) and three hits to go with a strikeout and two walks, while Melchionda gave up four runs (two earned) and four hits to go with six strikeouts and three walks. Doble was credited with the loss, putting her record at 4-3.

Killough went 1-4 with three RBIs, a strikeout, and a run. Zenga went 1-2 at the plate with a walk, a strikeout, a run, and a stolen base. Five other Lions batters picked up a hit in the game. Perron was 1-2 with two RBIs and a stolen base. Melchionda was 1-2 at the plate with an RBI and a stolen base. Three other Beacons batters were credited with a hit as well.

GAME 2: Emerson 5, UMass Boston 1
Alexis Fleischer (Jr. - San Diego, CA) started in the circle for UMass Boston. Emerson opted for Caleigh Sheehan (Fy. - Bolton, CT), who was looking to break a string of four straight starts without a win. The Lions struck first, getting out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of three RBI singles by Killough, Riley Caiazza (Fy. - Schagticoke, NY), and Izzi Shaffer (Fy. - Tyngsborough, MA).

UMass Boston wouldn't score a run until the fifth inning, as a runner scored on a sacrifice ground ball by Gracie Granger (Fy. - Paxton, MA) to make the score 3-1. Emerson scored two more in the sixth, going up 5-1 as Killough collected her second and third RBIs of the game on a single to right field. Sheehan blanked the Beacons in the top of the seventh as Emerson won their second game of the day.

Sheehan pitched all seven innings, giving up one run (unearned) and four hits to go with eight strikeouts and a walk. Her record improved to 5-5 with the victory. Fleischer gave up three runs and seven hits to go with two strikeouts and a walk in four innings of work. She was relieved by Jacqueline Cherry (Gr. - Franklin, MA), who allowed two runs and two hits to go with three strikeouts and a walk in the final two innings of the contest. Fleischer was pinned with the loss, putting her record at 1-3.

Lauren Miner (So. - Millbury, MA) went 2-3 with a run for UMass Boston. Sofie Richland (So. - South Burlington, VT) and Kyleigh Gray (So. - Deerfield, NH) had the other two hits for the Beacons. Killough went 2-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Sam Zannotti (Jr. - Dudley, MA) had the other multi-hit performance for Emerson, going 2-3 with a walk and two runs.

Both teams will take on conference opponents in doubleheaders for their next games. Emerson gets a much-needed break after playing four games in the past two days, as their next matchups are scheduled for Friday at home against Salve Regina in NEWMAC play, with game one starting at 3:00 p.m.. UMass Boston takes on Little East opponent Western Connecticut State on Saturday, with game one slated to start at 1:00 p.m.