BOSTON, Mass. – Nasty pitching and an offense that swung .411 as a team blazed the way Friday afternoon as the Emerson Softball team kicked open their 2012 home and GNAC slate with 8-0 (6) and 6-1 wins over the Suffolk Rams. Kelsey Tuthill and Alexandra Magistro took the wins on the day to move to 4-1 and 3-3 on the year as the Lions improve to 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the GNAC.

Game one saw Kelsey Tuthill dance circles around the visiting Rams who barely mustered up two hits against the Lion who collected nine strikeouts in the game; six of them consecutively to strike out the side in both the second and third innings of action.

The bats on the flip side wasted no time in taking to the scoreboard as Brittany Rochford, who hit an unreal .857 on the day with five runs scored for a 1.000% slugging percentage, led off with a single through the left side only to be plated by a sac fly from Kelsey Tuthill to take a 1-0 lead. EC struck again in the second as well, scoring two off a 14 pitch at bat by Bianca Buono who finally won the battle with a double down the left line to make it 3-0.

The Lions chipped away again in the fourth after a lead-off double from Erin Farley was followed up by singles from Brittany Rochford and and Bianca Buono to load them up when an errant throwing error on a fielder's choice plated three more for the Lions to open a 6-0 lead. All it would take was six innings though as the Lions put the run rule into effect with another RBI double from Bianca Buono before a Ram throwing error brought her home in an 8-0 final.

Game two sent Alexandra Magistro to the circle for EC where she dominated the first with a little help from a dead-on throw down to second to catch Suffolk's Nicole Rosa stealing by Tatiana Motevalli. EC hit the board first again in the game as Brittany Rochford put one up the middle to see the one and only Kelsey Tuthill double yet again to bring her home and make it 1-0.

The Rams butted back in the second inning though as they played a little small ball with a lead-off infield single getting bunted to second before passed balls caught up with the Lions and another infield single knotted the game at one. That was all Magistro was having from the Rams though as she shut it down for the rest of the duration.

The Lions couldn't keep the bats quiet for long though as they struck back in the second with a Lauren Jacaruso RBI single before pouring two more on in the third with a Kelsey Tuthill two-run home run to left center to make it 4-1. Capitalizing on some timely hits and errors by the Rams EC was able to tack on a run in the fourth and fifth to pull the score to its final resting place of 6-1.

The Lions continue their home stand tomorrow as they set to continue GNAC action against Norwich with a double header starting at noon in Boston at Rotch Field.