PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Saint Joseph's College (10-4, 2-2 GNAC) and Johnson & Wales University (4-6, 3-1 GNAC) split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Wildcats posted a come-from-behind 7-5 win in the opener and the Monks salvaged the split with an 11-7 victory in the nightcap.
Senior Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) launched a pair of homers and drove in all five of the SJC runs in the opener and sophomore Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine) belted her second jack of the season in the closing contest.
GAME ONE
Saint Joseph's held a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh but fell victim to a walk-off three-run homer off the bat of Emily Gorecki (Bremerton, Wash.) in a 7-5 opening setback.
Trailing 2-0 after four frames, Hendrix delivered her first home of the day – a three-run shot – to lift the Royal Blue to a 3-2 edge in the top of the fifth. Harrison, who walked, and junior first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine), who reached on a fielder's choice, both scored on the big fly.
The Wildcats tied the game with a run off an infield groundout in the sixth, but Hendrix came through again with her second homer of the game, a two-run blast, to lift the visitors to a 5-3 advantage in the top of the seventh. Mayhew reached on another fielder's choice and trotted home on her teammate's tater.
In the bottom of the seventh, Eileen Eads (Portsmouth, R.I.) made it a one-run game with an RBI single before Gorecki blasted a game-winning three-run homer over the right field fence.
For the Monks, Hendrix was 3-5 with two runs, two homers and five RBI, sophomore catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) went 3-4 with a double, and junior Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.) added three hits in four at bats in the losing effort.
Junior starting pitcher Erica Boulanger (Somersworth, N.H.) did not factor into the decision after allowing two runs off three hits and a pair of walks with three K's in five innings. Sophomore Danielle Egan (Waterboro, Maine) suffered the loss after yielding five runs off four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief.
For the Wildcats, Gorecki was 2-4 with two home runs and four RBI and junior catcher Kristen Solari (Old Bridge, N.J.) went 2-3 with a run scored in the victory. Freshman pitcher Jennifer Corona (Middle Island, N.Y.) picked up the win in the circle after allowing five runs off 11 hits and a walk with three punch-outs over seven frames.
GAME TWO
The nightcap proved to be a bit of a slugfest, as the conference counterparts combined to score 18 runs off 25 total hits, including 11 of the extra-base variety.
JWU jumped on the board with three runs off four hits and two SJC miscues in the bottom of the first, when Gorecki plated a pair with a two-bagger and later scored on an infield error to make it a 3-0 game after just one inning.
The Monks' three-run deficit remained until the top of the third, when St. Joe's broke out with seven runs off five hits to claim a 7-3 advantage. Mayhew and Pollini both delivered RBI doubles and Murphy produced an RBI single, but the big blow came off the bat of Harrison, who launched a grand slam home run over the right field fence. Pollini, Murphy and freshman second baseman Kelsy Gaddy (Limington, Maine), who walked, scored on the four-run jack.
Saint Joseph's padded the lead with two runs off a pair of hits in the fourth, when Murphy worked a bases-loaded walk and Gaddy lofted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Hendrix, who reached earlier via base on balls, making it a 9-3 game.
Johnson & Wales countered with three runs off five hits in the fifth, when Gorecki notched an RBI double, Diana Amendolara (Newtown, Pa.) tripled, and Kaycee Babineau (Medway, Mass.) laid down a sac bunt, cutting the visitors' cushion down to 9-6 through five frames.
Freshman pinch runner Emilie Duggan (Newfield, Maine) scored on an infield error in the top of the sixth and Hendrix plated a run with a fielder's choice in the seventh to offset a Gorecki solo homer in the bottom of the sixth and account for the 11-7 final.
For the Monks, Mayhew was 3-5 with a run, a double and an RBI, Tripp went 3-5 with a run scored and junior third baseman Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) added two hits, two runs and a triple in five trips to the plate.
Sophomore pitcher Kylie McFadden (Dover, N.H.) improved to 3-0 on the season after allowing six runs (four earned) off 11 hits and a walk with four K's in 4.2 innings and senior Laura Jordan (Orrington, Maine) gave up one run off two hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1.1 innings of relief. Hendrix retired all three batters she faced with two punch-outs in a scoreless seventh inning.
For the Wildcats, Gorecki was 3-4 with two runs, two doubles, a homer and four RBI, Solari went 3-4 with two runs and a double, and Amendolara was 2-3 with a run, a triple and a pair of RBI.
Gorecki took the loss in the circle after allowing five runs off four hits and three walks in 1.1 innings of relief while freshman starter Alex Fantasia (Framingham, Mass.) gave up four runs off four this and three walks and freshman Noelle Weiss (Hartland, Wis.) yielded two runs (one earned) off four hits and a walk with a strikeout in 3.1 frames of relief.
Saint Joseph's resumes play with a conference twinbill versus Norwich University on Friday.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.