STANDISH, ME – The Saint Joseph’s Softball team (15-5, 10-0 GNAC) increased its winning streak to 11 games with a pair of victories over Norwich University (1-17, 0-10) on Friday afternoon. Emily Leverone ’12 (Hampton, NH) was 6-8 with five runs, four RBI, two doubles and a home run in the conference doubleheader.

The victory extends the Monks winning streak to 11 games, which is the second-longest in Head Coach Jamie Smyth’s 13-year career. Smyth guided the Royal Blue to a 12-game streak in 2000. The longest winning streak in team history is 18 games and was achieved during the 1990 campaign.

The Monks received a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh from catcher Ellen Neff ’11 (Chester, VT) to capture the 4-3 win in the opener and exploded with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the mercy-rule victory in the nightcap contest.

Kiera Walsh ’11 (Benton, ME) improved to 5-2 on the year after scattering seven hits with one earned run allowed, five walks and five K’s in seven innings in the opener. In the latter contest, SJC starter Madylan Kluna ’12 (Standish, ME) allowed five hits and an earned run with five strikeouts in six innings and improved to 6-1 this spring with the winning decision.

Mackenzie Pratt ’11 (Hyde Park, VT) suffered the opening-game loss for the visitors after allowing 10 hits and four earned runs with six punch outs in 6.2 innings. Cadets game-two hurler Kelsey Buker ’12 (Morrisville, VT) allowed six hits and two earned runs with seven K’s in five frames and was hit with the loss in the nightcap.

GAME ONE

Norwich struck first in the first game, as the Cadets managed to push a run across in the top of the third with a pair of hits. With one out, center fielder Hallie Grennon ’12 (Franklin, VT) singled to center and scored three batters later when second baseman Lindsay Carey ’11 (Colchester, VT) recorded a base hit to the left side.

St. Joe’s responded with two runs off three hits in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. SJC right fielder Danyelle Shufelt ’13 (Sutton, VT) singled and scored on a Leverone double to right to tie the game and shortstop Liddy van der Linden ’10 (Worcester, MA) plated Leverone with a single to center field to put the Monks on top.

St. Joe’s second baseman Jillian Kimball ’10 (Albany Township, ME) made it a 3-1 game with a sac fly, scoring Leverone, in the fifth, but the Cadets knotted the game at three apiece with two unearned runs off an infield error by the Monks in the top of the sixth. Brittany Ramsay ’13 (Brunswick, VT) and Caitlin Wohlschlegel ’11 (Hemlock, NY) scored the Norwich runs in the frame.

The Monks proceeded to load the bases with three singles in the bottom of the sixth, but were unable to push the go-ahead run across the plate. Walsh battled through a scoreless seventh to keep the game tied and set the stage for Neff’s heroics in the bottom of the seventh.

With one out in the Monks’ final turn, Kimball worked a walk but was cancelled out when designated hitter Maria Labbe ’12 (Lewiston, ME) reached on fielder’s choice. With two out, Labbe advanced two bases on wild pitches and scored the game-winner when Neff delivered a base hit to center.

For the Monks, Shufelt was 2-4 with a run, Leverone was 2-4 with two runs, an RBI and a double, and third baseman Heather Tripp ’13 (Lovell, ME) was 2-3.

For the Cadets, Carey was 2-4 with an RBI and Grennon was 2-3 with a run scored.

GAME TWO

The nightcap contest appeared to be a carbon copy of the opener, as St. Joe’s held a 2-1 lead after five innings before pouring on seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Leverone put the Monks on the board with her second homer, a solo blast off the utility shed beyond the left field wall, in the bottom of the first, but Norwich tied the game with a run off three hits in the top of the third. Cadets catcher Marley Balasco ’11 (Barrington, RI) drove home the Norwich run with a single and shortstop Christine Clark ’13 (Weymouth, MA), who reached with a single, scored on the play to tie the game at one apiece.

St. Joe’s gained a one-run lead when Leverone, who doubled with one out, scored on an Alyssa Dunn ’11 (Standish, ME) sac fly to left in the bottom of the fourth.

In the sixth, the Monks took advantage of three Norwich miscues and notched eight hits to transform a close contest into a mercy-rule victory. Dunn, Kimball, Samantha Gray ’12 (Yarmouth, ME) and Natasha Howard ’11 (Farmington, ME) all registered RBI’s and Leverone drove home a pair, including the ninth run to end the game, in the big inning.

For St. Joe’s, Leverone was 4-4 with three runs, three RBI, a double and a long ball and Dunn drove home two in the triumph.

Grennon was the lone repeat hitter for the Cadets and went 2-3 in the losing effort. Pratt allowed five hits, six earned runs and a walk in 0.2 innings of relief.

St. Joe’s will host Johnson & Wales on Saturday in a GNAC twinbill set to start at 1:00 PM, while Norwich will also host a conference opponent tomorrow at 1:00 PM, as Suffolk University makes the trip to Vermont for a two-game set.