NASHUA, NH – Saint Joseph's College (28-8, 21-3) earned a split in a GNAC doubleheader with Rivier College (29-2, 23-1) on Tuesday evening to capture the #2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The Monks' 2-1 victory in the opener snapped the Raiders' 27-game winning streak and ruined the hosts' aspirations of posting a perfect conference campaign.
SJC game-one starter Madylan Kluna '12 (Standish, ME) was brilliant, scattering five hits with no earned runs, two walks and a strikeout in the important conference victory. She improves to 8-2 in the circle as a sophomore.
With the split, Rivier College earns the top seed in the GNAC Tournament and will serve as the tourney host for the games on Saturday and Sunday.
GAME ONE
St. Joe's scored single runs in the third and fifth frames off Rivier ace Monica White '10 (Augusta, ME), who entered the evening's action with an undefeated record (22-0), to collect the 2-1 win.
Heather Tripp '13 (Lovell, ME) led off the top of the third with a double to deep left and scored on a Danyelle Shufelt '13 (Sutton, VT) base hit two batters later. Tripp sparked the Monks again in the fifth, as the rookie third baseman singled and later scored on a sac fly to right by Emily Leverone '12 (Hampton, NH).
Rivier, ranked fifth in last week's NEISCA Poll, scored an unearned run off an SJC outfield error in the fifth, but was unable to muster a threat in the team's final two turns at bat.
Only two players recorded multiple hits in the low-scoring affair, as Tripp was 3-3 with a double and two runs scored and Samantha Gray '12 (Yarmouth, ME) went 2-3 in the SJC triumph.
GAME TWO
In the nightcap, the Raiders doubled their game-one offensive output on their third swing of the game. White, the Raiders' lead-off batter, reached on an error and Katie Bachinski '13 (Northfield, MA) belted a two-run homer off Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, ME) two batters later to provide the hosts with a 2-0 cushion.
Saint Joseph's cut its deficit in half when Leverone hit a solo home run off White, who started both games and tossed all 14 innings, in the fourth inning.
Amanda Thornton '13 (Hanover, MA) registered a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth to cap the game scoring with Rivier earning the 4-1 victory as well as the #1 seed in the GNAC Tournament.
SJC first baseman Alyssa Dunn '11 (Standish, ME) was the game's lone repeat hitter with a 2-3 effort at the plate.
White fanned 11 with three hits and no walks allowed and struck out 24 in 14 innings overall in the two games.
St. Joe's will host two GNAC Tournament games on Friday, as the #6 St. Joseph (Conn.)/#7 Mount Ida winner will play #3 Emerson at 2:00 PM, with the Monks taking on the winner of the 2:00 PM game at 4:00 PM.
