CHESTNUT HILL, MA—Saint Joseph's (25-7, 15-3 GNAC) took both games of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader against Pine Manor College (8-19, 8-12 GNAC) on Thursday afternoon. The Monks erased an early deficit to take game one 9-1 before scoring 13 runs on 18 hits in a 13-5 victory in game two.
In game one, PMC senior Jess Kennedy (Lakeville, MA/Apponequet) hit a lead-off solo home run to put the Gators ahead in the bottom of the first inning. However, after the first inning it was all St. Joe's. The Monks came to bat in the top of the second and delivered four runs on four hits and two errors to take a 4-1 lead. Junior Katelyn Call (Portland, ME/Catherine McAuley) delivered a two-run double to put the Monks ahead before freshman Connie Grovo (Limington, ME/Bonny Eagle) drove home two more with a single later in the inning.
In the bottom half of the second, St. Joe's starter Maddie Kluna (Standish, ME/Bonny Eagle) struck out the side. The Monks would then add two more runs in the third when sophomore Heather Tripp (Lovell, ME/Fryeburg Academy) homered over the centerfield fence. St. Joe's would tack on three more in the fourth, thanks in part to another two-run home run— this one coming off the bat of senior Emily Leverone (Hampton, NH/Winnacunnet). Kluna pitched a five inning complete game, striking out five and earning her twelfth victory of the season.
In game two, St. Joe's stayed hot at the plate. The Monks jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. After going deep in game one Leverone struck again, hitting her conference-leading eighth home run of the season. Freshman Lindsay Moore (Barrington, NH/Dover) then hit a two-RBI double down the left field line to make the score 4-0.
In the third, the Monks would go deep two more times as part of a six run inning to make the score 10-0. Senior Alyssa Dunn (Standish, ME/Bonny Eagle) led off the inning with a home run before Moore hit a shot to left before the Monks added four more runs before the end of the inning.
In the home half of the third, the Gators rallied to score three runs. Pine Manor collected six singles in the inning to make the score 10-3. Junior Jen Gross (Coral Springs, FL/Coral Glades)got the rally started by hitting the first single of the inning. Gross would then come around to score on an RBI single by senior Michelle Campbell (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough). Kayla Nielsen (Saco, ME/Thornton Academy) and Ashley Carusone (Nashua, NH/Nashua North) each collected RBI singles of their own before the Gators ended the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
St. Joe's added another run in the fifth but two runs but a two-run home run by PMC freshman Macayla KIrylo (Pawtucket, RI/William E. Tolman Senior) helped to extend the game into the sixth inning. St. Joe's would then add two more to its total when Moore hit a two-run double to make the score 13-5. Moor would finish game two with a game-high 5 RBIs.
Saint Joseph's will host Lasell College in a conference twinbill on Friday at 3:00 PM. The Gators will return to action tomorrow when they play at Emerson College at 3:00 PM.
COURTESY OF PINE MANOR COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
