GNAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

WINTHROP, Mass. – No. 1 North seed Saint Joseph's (Maine) and No. 3N seed Simmons are the two remaining undefeated teams heading into the final day of the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Tournament Pod Play. The Pod Finals at each site are scheduled for Sunday, May 5.

Saturday's (May 4) GNAC Softball Tournament action featured three games at each site. In the Saint Joseph's Pod, the day started with an elimination game between No. 5 North seed New England College and No. 2 South seed Mitchell with the Pilgrims staying alive with a 6-3 result. Next in the Saint Joseph's winner's bracket game, the Monks got the best of No. 3 South seed Johnson & Wales, 11-4, setting up a final elimination game between NEC and JWU. The Wildcats kept their season alive claiming a 4-3 walk-off win in nine innings.

The action at Lasell started with No. 2 North seed Emmanuel ending No. 4 South seed Albertus Magnus' season with a 4-2 win in nine innings. In the winner's game, the Sharks got the best of No. 1 South seed Lasell, 6-0, to earn their spot in the Lasell Pod Finals. The hosts were able to bounce back in the late game, defeating the Saints, 3-1, to earn a shot in the Pod Finals.

Both Pods will start at 11 a.m. on Sunday with the undefeated teams needing only one win to clinch a spot in the GNAC Softball Championship Series. If the undefeated teams drop the early game, an "if necessary" game will be played to determine the winner of the Pod.

The two Pod winners will advance to the best-of-three GNAC Softball Championship Series, which will be held on Friday-Saturday, May 10-11. The Championship Series winner will be named the 2024 GNAC Softball Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

#5N New England College 6, #2S Mitchell 3

Recap to follow.

#2N Emmanuel 4, #4S Albertus Magnus 2 – 9 Innings

Recap to follow.

#1N Saint Joseph's (Maine) 11, #3S Johnson & Wales 4

Recap to follow.

#3N Simmons 6, #1S Lasell 0

Recap to follow.

#3S Johnson & Wales 4, #5N New England College 3 – 9 Innings

Recap to follow.

#1S Lasell 3, #2N Emmanuel 1

Recap to follow.

2024 GNAC Softball Tournament Schedule

Play-In - Tuesday, April 30

Game 1 - #5N New England College def. #4N Rivier, 3-1 | BOX
Game 2 - #4S Albertus Magnus def. #5S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 3-1 | BOX

Pod Play Day 1 - Thursday, May 2

Lasell Pod
(Hosted by No. 1S seed Lasell)

Game 3B - #1S Lasell def. #4S Albertus Magnus, 3-2 | BOX
Game 4B - #3N Simmons def. #2N Emmanuel, 2-1 (11 inn.) | BOX

Pod Play Day 1 (cont.) - Friday, May 3

Saint Joseph's (Maine) Pod
(Hosted by No. 1N seed Saint Joseph's (Maine))

Game 3A - #1N Saint Joseph's (Maine) def. #5N New England College, 9-4 | BOX
Game 4A - #3S Johnson & Wales def. #2S Mitchell, 7-1 | BOX

Pod Play Day 2 - Saturday, May 4

Saint Joseph's (Maine) Pod
(Hosted by No. 1N seed Saint Joseph's (Maine))

Game 5A - #5N New England College def. #2S Mitchell, 6-3 | BOX
Game 6A - #1N Saint Joseph's (Maine) def. #3S Johnson & Wales, 11-4 | BOX
Game 7A - #3S Johnson & Wales def. #5N New England College, 4-3 (9 inn.) | BOX

Lasell Pod
(Hosted by No. 1S seed Lasell)

Game 5B - #2N Emmanuel def. #4S Albertus Magnus, 4-2 (9 inn.) | BOX
Game 6B - #3N Simmons def. #1S Lasell, 6-0 | BOX
Game 7B - #1S Lasell def. #2N Emmanuel, 3-1 | BOX

Pod Finals - Sunday, May 5

Saint Joseph's (Maine) Pod
(Hosted by No. 1N seed Saint Joseph's (Maine))

Game 8A - #3S Johnson & Wales at #1N Saint Joseph's (Maine), 11 a.m.
Game 9A - Game 8A opponents, If necessary

Lasell Pod
(Hosted by No. 1S seed Lasell)

Game 8B - #3N Simmons at #1S Lasell, 11 a.m.
Game 9B - Game 8B opponents, If necessary

Championship Series - Friday, May 10
(Host TBD)

Game 10 - Winner of Saint Joseph's Pod vs. Winner of Lasell Pod, TBD

Championship Series Day 2- Saturday, May 11
(Host TBD)

Game 11 - Winner of Saint Joseph's Pod vs. Winner of Lasell Pod, TBD
Game 12 - Winner of Saint Joseph's Pod vs. Winner of Lasell Pod, TBD (if necessary)

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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