NEW HAVEN, CT – Saint Joseph’s (7-5, 2-0 GNAC) trounced Albertus Magnus (0-6, 0-4 GNAC), 23-0 and 17-1, in a conference twinbill on Sunday afternoon. Emily Leverone ’12 (Hampton, NH) was 6-6 with six runs, seven RBI, two doubles and a triple and Alyssa Dunn ’11 (Standish, ME) went 5-6 with five runs, six RBI, a double and a home run in the two-game set.
The Monks lineup pounded out 45 hits and the pitching combination of Kiera Walsh ’11 (Benton, ME), Christy Wezowicz ’10 (Granville, MA), Madylan Kluna ’12 (Standish, ME) and Kayla Vannah ’13 (Waldoboro, ME) allowed just three base hits with 13 strikeouts in the two games.
The margin of victory in the opener is the largest since St. Joe’s defeated Roger Williams, 25-1, on March 31st, 1996 and the first time the team has scored 20 runs since the Monks topped Suffolk, 23-2, on April 17th, 2008. The 40-run total is the most in a two-game set since the Royal Blue put up 50(40-0, 10-0) in a twinbill against University of Maine-Presque Isle on April 17th, 1994.
The Monks set the tune for the day early in the opener, as the Royal Blue scored five in the first frame, four in the second and nine in the third to jump out to an 18-0 lead.
Centerfielder Anna Willis ’10 (Gorham, ME) was 3-4 with three runs scored, Danyelle Shufelt ’13 (Sutton, VT) crossed the plate three times, Leverone was 3-3 with three runs and six RBI and Dunn was 3-3 with three runs, four RBI and hit her second long ball of the season, a two-run jack in the first, in the blowout. Walsh, who fanned three with a walk and a hit allowed, improved to 2-2 on the season with three innings of one-hit ball. Wezowicz tossed two scoreless innings of relief and allowed a hit and a walk with three punch outs.
The SJC offense got off to a quick start in the nightcap as well, with three runs in the first inning, another in the second and three more in the third. Five runs in both the fourth and fifth frames capped the Monks’ scoring in the team’s second lopsided win of the day.
Willis was 2-4 with an RBI, Leverone was 3-3 with three runs and a run batted in and shortstop Liddy van der Linden ’10 (Worcester, MA) went 2-4 with two runs, two RBI and her team-leading third homer of the spring. Dunn was 2-3 with two runs and two RBI, Jillian Kimball ’10 (Albany Township, ME) drove home a pair, Samantha Gray ’12 (Yarmouth, ME) went 2-2 with two runs and two RBI and Maria Labbe ’12 (Lewiston, ME) was 2-3 with two runs, two RBI and her first career home run, a two-run blast in the third inning.
Kluna tossed three perfect frames with five K’s to improve to 3-1 on the year and Vannah allowed a run with two strikeouts in two innings of mop-up duty.
St. Joe’s will host Mount Ida College in a GNAC doubleheader on Friday. First pitch for the 2010 home opener is scheduled for 3:00 PM.
