PROVIDENCE, RI – Saint Joseph's College (36-8, 21-3 GNAC) defeated Endicott College (35-7, 23-1 TCCC), 8-1, in game three at the Providence Regional of the 2011 NCAA DIII Softball Championship played at Rhode Island College's Dayna A. Bazar Softball Complex on Thursday afternoon. Senior first baseman Alyssa Dunn (Standish, ME) went 4-4 with three runs, two RBI and fell a triple shy of the cycle in the triumph.

With the opening-round victory, the Monks move to the winners' bracket and will face the winner of the #7 Lesley vs. #2 Coast Guard game on Friday at 4:00 PM. The Gulls will face the loser of the Lynx and the Bears contest in an elimination game tomorrow at noon.

Junior pitcher Maddie Kluna (Standish, ME) hurled a strong game to pick up her 14th (14-3) win of the season. She allowed just the one run on four hits, while striking out four.

Saint Joseph's took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as Dunn doubled off the wall in left field to start the frame. Endicott senior pitcher Jenna Bortolotti (Milton, MA) induced a fly ball out, but freshman shortstop Lindsay Moore (Barrington, NH) laced an RBI double that bounced off the left field foul line to stay fair. Bortolotti was able to secure a ground out and a strikeout to keep the Gulls within a run.

The Monks added three runs in the third as Dunn dealt Endicott a lethal blow with a two-run homer (5) to left center field. Sophomore right fielder Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, VT) led off with an infield single to shortstop. Freshman second baseman Connie Grovo (Limington, ME) sacrificed Shufelt to second and senior center fielder Emily Leverone (Hampton, NH), who had made a nice running over-the-shoulder catch in the bottom of the previous inning, drew a walk. Shufelt and Leverone moved up to second and third on a wild pitch, with Shufelt scoring on freshman designated player Jill Howard's (Rochester, NH) RBI ground out. Dunn followed with the bomb to clear the bases. Despite issuing a walk and another single, Bortolotti got out of the inning with a ground out.

Endicott finally plated a run in the third as sophomore catcher Krista Fales (Melrose, MA) doubled to the right field corner and later scored on freshman second baseman Jesse Bilafer's (Concord, MA) RBI single down the left field line.

The momentum was short-lived as Dunn promptly singled to lead off the fifth for St. Joe's and Endicott Head Coach Mark Veilleux turned to freshman pitcher Nell O'Connor (Harwich, MA) as Bortolotti came out. SJC sophomore Kirin Schrum (Littleton, NH) pinch ran for Dunn. After a ground out moved Schrum up a station and Moore singled off of O'Connor's glove in the circle to put runners on the corners, junior catcher Maria Labbe (Lewiston, ME) cleared the sacks with an opposite field two-run double to right field to give the Monks a five run, 6-1, lead.

St. Joe's wasn't done as Labbe contributed an RBI single and junior left fielder Katelyn Call (Portland, ME) brought in another with a fielder's choice to close out the game's offensive output.

Moore was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Labbe went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Freshman shortstop Mattie Brett (Waterford, CT) had two of Endicott's four hits on the day.

Bortolotti suffered the loss (17-5), allowing five runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work.

COURTESY OF RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION