Blue Softball Drops Two Games to Simmons in Season Opener

BOSTON, Mass. - Wellesley College softball opened their 2023 campaign with a pair of losses to Simmons on Friday at Daly Field.

Junior Jordyn Rubin (Lewiston, Maine) hit three triples and had four RBIs for the Sharks (6-6) while sophomore Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) had four hits over two games for the Blue (0-2).

Game 1 | Simmons 6, Wellesley 3 | Final

The Sharks brought four across in the bottom of the first. Rubin tripled in a run before scoring on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, senior catcher Emma Thacher (Harwich, Mass.) hit an RBI single to up the Sharks' lead to 4-0.

The Blue struck back in the top of the second with an RBI single to right from first year Emeline Gaunce (Los Altos, Calif.). A double from sophomore Peytin Penny (Louisville, Ky.) drove in Gaunce to cut the lead to 4-2. Rubin's second triple of the game drove in one for Simmons in the bottom of the second. Gaunce finished the game with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI while Penny had an RBI and two hits.

A double down the line from sophomore Elli DeCleene (North Reading, Mass.) got Wellesley a run in the top of the fourth. Senior Maddie Castigliego (Bristol, R.I.) knocked in a run on a double to make it 6-3 for Simmons in the bottom of the fifth. Despite putting two runners on base in the top of the seventh it wasn't enough, as Simmons finished off a 6-3 win.

Castigliego threw a complete game with five strikeouts to earn a fourth win of the season for the Sharks while Young threw five for the Blue with three strikeouts while also slapping three hits for Wellesley, just a homer run shy of the cycle. Wellesley junior Emma Slibeck (New York, N.Y.) struck out two in an inning of relief. Both teams put up 11 hits in the first game.

Game 2 | Simmons 10, Wellesley 2 | Final (Five Innings)

Slibeck took the circle for the Blue in game two opposite Simmons first year Piper Kinney (Marlborough, Mass.). 

Rubin drove in a third RBI of the day on a one-run single in the bottom of the first. The Sharks erupted for six runs in the bottom of the third highlighted by Rubin's third triple of the day, and RBI singles from senior Shannon McMahon (El Cajon, Calif.) and first year Abby Viggiano (Springfield, Va.). 

The Blue got a pair of runs back on a throwing error that scored DeCleene and first year Maggie Abernathy (Phoenix, Ariz.) to cut Simmons' lead to 7-2.

An error from the Blue in bottom of the fourth brought in two. Castigliego drove in one final run for the Sharks, who won game 10-2.

Kinney tossed a complete game allowing only one earned run for Simmons. Slibeck had two strikeouts in 2.2 innings before senior Marisa Sgambati (Scottsdale, Ariz.) struck out one.

The Blue host their home opener next Wednesday with games against Nichols at 3:00 and 5:00 PM while the Sharks travel to Rhode Island College the same day to play at 4:00 and 6:00 PM.