Photo courtesy of MIT Athletic Communications

Softball

REGIONAL CHAMPS! No. 16 MIT Softball Defeats Simmons, 9-2, to Advance to Super Regionals

This release is courtesy of MIT Athletic Communications

THE BASICS:
 
- Scores:
No. 16 MIT - 9, Simmons - 2
 
- Records: MIT (35-6), Simmons (27-16)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Briggs Field)
 
- The Lead: For the third time in program history, the No. 16 MIT softball team is heading to the NCAA Super Regionals as the Engineers scored seven unanswered runs to defeat Simmons, 9-2 in the 2023 NCAA Softball Regional Championship on Briggs Field on Saturday morning.

After the game, first year Ava Ladd (Austin, Texas) and sophomore Mackenzie Bivin (San Diego, Calif.) were named to the All-Tournament team and sophomore Mikayla Cable (Valrico, Fla.) was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

-  Simmons got a 1-0 lead when Maddie Castigliego homered to left-center in the second. MIT tied it in the bottom half as junior Katia Pendowski (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) came around to score on a wild pitch.
 
- Bivin gave MIT a 2-1 lead with a solo shot to right-center on the first pitch of the at-bat. The Sharks responded in the top of the fourth as Shannon McMahon scored on an Emma Thacher double to left.
 
- With two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth, Cable took the first pitch she saw into right-center to clear the bases and give MIT a 5-2 lead.
 
- Senior Jordan Sell (Schwenksville, Pa.) doubled home two more runs in the sixth, and Ladd and Pendowski added RBIs to put MIT up 9-2 in the sixth.
 
- Sophomore Becca O'Connor (San Antonio, Texas) surrendered a lead-off bunt single in the seventh but got the next three outs to send MIT to the Super Regionals.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

- O'Connor got the win in relief to move to 12-1. She pitched three innings and allowed two hits with one walk and one strikeout. First year Caroline Langmeyer (Upper Arlington, Ohio) went the first four innings and allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
 
- With her sixth homer of the season, Bivin is one shy of tying Pendowski for the most home runs in a single season. Bivin also broke the program record for RBI in a season earlier this year and currently has 54.
 
- Cable went 2-4 with three RBI while Sell, Ladd, and sophomore Kennedy Adkison (San Jose, Calif. ) also recorded two hits in the game.
 
- Castigliego took the loss (18-10) and went 1-2 at the plate. A.J. Swett led the Sharks with two hits in the game.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT will head to the Super Regionals that will take place Friday, May 26-Saturday May 27. MIT will find out its opponent and location later this weekend.