NEWTON, MA – Saint Joseph's (27-5, 20-0 GNAC) swept Lasell College (16-18-1, 12-8 GNAC) in convincing fashion on Wednesday with 10-6 and 12-2 victories to extend the Monks' winning streak to 23 games. Emily Leverone '12 (Hampton, NY) belted three home runs and went 6-8 with five runs and eight RBI in the two-game sweep.
With the two wins, the softball team ties the longest winning streak in Saint Joseph's athletics history. The 1998-99 Men's Basketball team started its season with 23 consecutive triumphs. Also, St. Joe's has won 28 consecutive GNAC contests, dating back to April 15th, 2009.
Saint Joseph's hit five home runs on the day, three of which tied or broke a program record.
St. Joe's entered the game with 13 home runs as a team and managed to shatter the team single-season mark of 14, which was attained in 2002, in the two-game set. In the first game, Alyssa Dunn '11 (Standish, ME) smashed a grand slam home run in the top of the first to tie the record and Leverone hit a three-run homer in the top of the second to break the team record.
Leverone's third home run of the day, a two-run blast in the second inning of the second game, was the 13th of her career and breaks the SJC program record for career taters, which was previously held by Kelly Premo '02, who hit 12 in her four years.
Liddy van der Linden '10 (Worcester, MA) followed Leverone's historic jacks with one of her own, as the senior shortstop hit her eighth longball of the season, and 12th of her excellent career, in the nightcap. With the big fly, van der Linden ties Leverone's SJC single season record, which was set last season.
GAME ONE
Saint Joseph's swung the sticks early in the opener and led 7-0 after two turns at the plate. Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) lined out to center to lead off the game, but Danyelle Shufelt '13 (Sutton, VT) and Leverone proceeded to notch singles to left field. After a double steal moved both runners up a base, van der Linden walked to bring up Dunn, who proceeded to unload the bases with a frozen rope over the left-center fence to make it a 4-0 game. In the second frame, Heather Tripp '13 (Lovell, ME) walked and Willis singled before Leverone unloaded on an offering by Lasers starter Alison Saluti '13 (Braintree, MA) to put the Monks up by seven.
Lasell responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to cut the SJC cushion to 7-2, but Saint Joseph's countered the measure with two in the top of the fourth off an RBI single by Maria Labbe '12 (Lewiston, ME) and a bases loaded walk to Tripp.
Leverone smacked her second home run of the game, a solo shot, in the top of the fifth to make it a 10-2 contest. The Lasers tacked on three runs off four hits in the fifth and another off one hit in the sixth and were threatening to continue the rally with two on and nobody out in the seventh, but Ashley Laramie '11 (Lynn, MA) lined out into a double play and Kelly Barden '10 (Quincy, MA) grounded out to end the game.
Although the Monks notched 12 hits in the opener, only two players recorded multiple hits. Leverone was 4-5 with three runs and four RBI and Willis was 3-5 with a run scored for Saint Joseph's. Starter Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, ME) went the distance and allowed six earned runs and eight hits while improving to 8-2 on the season.
Saluti allowed seven runs off five hits in 1.2 innings and was hit with the loss for the Lasers. Slader entered the game after Leverone's three-run homer in the second and allowed three runs off seven hits in 5.1 innings.
GAME TWO
The Monks scored all 12 runs in the first three innings in the nightcap, including five runs in both the second and third frames, en route to the mercy-rule victory.
van der Linden and Dunn notched RBI two-baggers in the first inning to provide the Royal Blue with an early 2-0 advantage. St. Joe's poured on five runs in the second, as Willis and Shufelt drove home runs and Leverone and van der Linden delivered back to back bombs, with the former being a two-run shot, to make it a 7-0 game. All seven SJC runs in the first two innings were unearned.
In the bottom of the second, Barden greeted SJC starter Christy Wezowicz '10 (Granville, MA) with a solo home run to put the Lasers on the board, but the thoughts of a second comeback bid by the hosts was put on ice when the Monks added five runs to take a 12-1 lead.
In the top of the third, Ellen Neff '11 (Chester, VT) posted an RBI single, Leverone plated a pair with a base hit and Neff and Shufelt both scored on passed balls to cap the Monks' scoring.
Barden hit another solo home run in the fourth to close out the game scoring with the Monks securely in the lead, 12-2.
Wezowicz tossed another gem for St. Joe's, allowing six hits and two earned runs with eight K's in five innings, and improves to 9-2 in the circle.
Leverone went 2-3 with two runs and four RBI, van der Linden was 2-3 with two runs, two RBI and a double, Katelyn Call '12 (Portland, ME/McAuley) went 2-3 with two runs and a double and Cynthia Wescott '12 (Westbrook, ME) was 2-3 with a run scored in the lopsided win.
Lasell starter Kirsten Mammola '11 (North Reading, MA) took the losing decision after surrendering nine runs, just one earned, and eight hits in 2.1 innings. Jennie Beaton '12 (Reading, MA) allowed three runs and three hits in 2.2 frames of mop-up duty.
Saint Joseph's will face off against Rivier College (22-1, 16-0 GNAC) in Nashua, NH in a GNAC doubleheader on Friday at 4:00 PM.
