WALTHAM, Mass. – The Norwich University softball team dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader to Simmons on Friday at Brandeis University.

Norwich (16-14, 11-9 GNAC) trailed Simmons by two games for fourth place in the league standings coming into the today. The Sharks' (22-8, 15-5 GNAC) pair of victories cemented their place in the top four of the standings and a first round bye.

Simmons pounded out 14 hits in the first game en route to a 7-2 victory. The Sharks then took Game 2 by a score of 4-1 behind an impressive pitching performance from Amanda Cordeiro.

Cordeiro fired a complete game one hitter with the lone Cadet run coming off a solo homer by sophomore Payton Warner (Harwich, Mass.).

Simmons' first baseman Emily Cunningham went 2-for-3 in the nightcap with a double, triple and a RBI, while second baseman Mikaela Caracciolo went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

Norwich junior pitcher Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) took just her fifth loss of the season, going six innings and giving up two earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out five.

In the opener, junior Kelly Travers (Whitman, Mass.) notched a home run for Norwich as the Cadets notched eight hits off Simmons' ace Lauren Backhaus.

However, Simmons' bats proved to be too much as Heather White went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Sharks' offense. Hannah Cunningham and Caracciolo had three hits as well for Simmons.

Backhaus picked up the victory giving up one earned run and walking one while striking out eight. NU senior pitcher Kaylie Miller (Long Lake, N.Y.) took the loss after giving up seven earned runs and two walks while striking out three.

Norwich concludes the regular season on Saturday when it hosts Johnson & Wales at 1 p.m. at the NU Softball Field. The Cadets need one victory to assure themselves of a play-in round home game. Albertus Magnus currently sits at 10-8 in league play with four games left to play. Suffolk is 9-11 in seventh place.

-CADETS-