NEWPORT, R.I. (Sunday, March 23, 2025) -- Salve Regina University softball freshman Ayanna Fernandez drove in five runs in the nightcap to lead the Seahawks to a doubleheader sweep (4-3 and 13-12) over visiting Saints of Emmanuel College on Sunday afternoon on the Toppa Field turf in Newport, Rhode Island. Fernandez celebrated her birthday in grand style with a double, triple, and single, the latter coming in the bottom of the seventh where she also scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk-off walk to classmate Skyla Oliveira. The four-run last-at-bat rally gave Sophia Gendron (W, 1-3) the victory in relief. Gendron also earned a save in the opener after Alex Kelly (W, 2-1) had worked the first six innings and the Seahawks held on for a 4-3 final. Emily Cronin drove in a pair of runs in each game for four RBI on the day.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
Finals: [1] Salve Regina 4, Emmanuel 3; [2] Salve Regina 13, Emmanuel 12
Records: Salve Regina (4-8, 0-0 NEWMAC), Emmanuel (2-14, 0-0 GNAC)
History: It was a long time ago, alright, before any player on either current team was born, but Salve Regina and Emmanuel had met just once in softball prior to today. On March 15, 2002, the Seahawks won 14-0 over the Saints in Cape Coral, Florida. Seahawk Hall of Fame member Michaela Giblin had a grand slam home run. Salve Regina also defeated North Park, 5-2, on that same day. Later that afternoon, current Seahawk baseball head coach Eric Cirella (and Hall of Fame member) had an opposite-field walk-off home run against Lakeland in a spring break match up in Cape Coral. The NCAA record-holder for consecutive games with a base hit, Damian Costantino (60-game hit streak from 2001-2003), had a pinch-hit appearance in the Lakeland game and scorched a double.

SUMMARY GAME ONE

• B1 - Jacey Cosciello led off with a walk and stole second before Sam Franceschi's single sent her to third. Franceschi stole second and scored behind Cosciello after Emily Cronin laced a two-run double to right center. Cronin later scored on an Olivia Saccoccio sacrifice fly. | SEAHAWKS 3, SAINTS 0
• T3 - Mia Fernandes led off with a single and then two passed balls put her on third. With two outs, Molly Carnes singled in the Saints' first run. | SEAHAWKS 3, SAINTS 1
• B4 - Olivia Saccoccio led off with a double; pinch-runner Madi Allard advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on Alex Kelly's grounder to short. | SEAHAWKS 4, SAINTS 1
• T5 - Mia Fernandes doubled with one out and then stole third and home, the latter on a double-steal with MeKayla Poisson swiping second. | SEAHAWKS 4, SAINTS 2
• T7 - Grace Garon pinch hit for Alexis Martineau and drew a lead off walk. Mia Fernandes singled back to the circle, but was then erased on a fielder's choice grounder to Sam Franceschi at short by Francesca Pizzarella to put runners at the corners. Pinch hitter Abigail Farr singled to right field to pull the Saints within one before Sophia Gendron shut the door with a strikeout and a grounder to Franceschi. | SEAHAWKS 4, SAINTS 3

NOTEWORTHY

• Mia Fernandes went 3-for-3 for the visitors and scored two runs.
• Alex Kelly (W, 2-1) allowed base hits to the first two Saints she faced and then struck out six straight batters.
• Salve Regina would score three first-inning runs in both games.
• Saints outhit the Seahawks, 8-to-7; seven different Seahawks collected a hit.
• The Coventry kids (Emily Cronin, Olivia Saccoccio) both had a double.

SUMMARY GAME TWO

• T1 - With one out, Mia Fernandes walked and stole second before coming home on Molly Carnes' RBI single. | SAINTS 1, SEAHAWKS 0
• B1 - Jacey Cosciello led off with a walk and moved to third on Sam Franceschi's sacrifice bunt (Franceschi reached second on a throwing error). Emily Cronin's sacrifice fly tied the game. Ayanna Fernandez doubled in the go-ahead runs, plating Olivia Saccoccio and Franceschi. | SEAHAWKS 3, SAINTS 1
• T3  - The first three Saints reached against starter Shea Murphy -- Pizzarella singled back to the pitcher, Fernandes on an error, and Carnes with a hit to center -- to load the bases. Murphy got the first out on a diving stop of a Chelak grounder and throwing home to Abby Merck to force Pizzarella. Farr's fly out brought in Fernandes and Amanda Penney's single to left field tied the score. | SEAHAWKS 3, SAINTS 3
• B4  - Skyla Oliveira doubled down the right-field line and scored when Skylar Wicklund's infield single included a throwing error. The Seahawks scored their next five runs after two outs in the inning. Emily Cronin beat out a grounder to third base to score Wicklund. After Saccoccio walked, Ayanna Fernandez tripled to right center and then came home on an Emily Lane single. Lane stole second and Abby Merck walked. Oliveira followed with an RBI single through the left side. | SEAHAWKS 9, SAINTS 3
• T6  - Trailing by six, the Saints got half of that back. Amanda Penney led off with a single and left for pinch runner Rebecca Markie. Alexis Martineau's fielder's choice grounder was misplayed and put runners at the corners. Murphy got a strikeout before a wild pitch allowed Markie to cross the plate. Pizzarella singled up the middle and Fernandes doubled to right center. Molly Carnes singled off reliever Caroline Peterson but right fielder Skylar Wicklund threw to first baseman Emily Lane who relayed to catcher Abby Merck to cut off a run at the plate for the final out. | SEAHAWKS 9, SAINTS 6
• T7  - The Saints scored six runs on three hits, three bases on balls, a hit batter, a passed ball and a wild pitch. | SAINTS 12, SEAHAWKS 9
• B7  - Skylar Wicklund bounced a single to second, Jacey Cosciello walked, and Sam Franceschi's sharp ground out to the circle advanced both runners. Emily Cronin beat out a dribbler to third to load the bases. Olivia Saccoccio had an RBI fielder's choice grounder to second that scored Wicklund and put runners at the corners. Ayanna Fernandez singled to right center to pull the Seahawks within one as Saccoccio took third. Emily Lane was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Abby Merck's single tied the score and Skyla Oliveira worked a full count after several foul balls and drew the walk-off walk with Fernandez crossing the plate with the winning run. | SEAHAWKS 13, SAINTS 12

NOTEWORTHY

• Salve Regina's first two wins of the season (both in Arizona) were by Mercy Rule scores (15-5 over Viterbo in five innings; 8-0 against Mayville State in six innings).
• Today's victories were the first without invoking a Mercy Rule.
• Both teams had a six-run inning (Seahawks in the fourth, Saints in the seventh).
• Skyla Oliveira and Skylar Wicklund both had a pair of hits in the six-run fourth for the Seahawks.
• Emily Lane was hit by two pitches to bring her season total to five and career total to 33, extending her school record (she passed Zeena Barbarita's career total of 25 last season).
• Sophia Gendron (W, 1-3) earned the victory (after her first save in Game 1) as the final pitcher for the Seahawks. She caught a line drive back to the circle to finish the top of the seventh.

NEXT UP
Salve Regina stays in state to face Rhode Island College on Thursday, March 27, with first pitch of the non-league doubleheader slated for 4 p.m.