WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – University of Saint Joseph pitchers Patti Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) and Shelby Tallman (Colchester, Conn.) had shut-down, complete-game efforts to lead the Blue Jays to a 4-2, 5-1 sweep of Saint Joseph's College Tuesday in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader.
USJ improved to 13-12 overall and 9-6 in the GNAC. The Monks of Saint Joseph's are 19-7 and 11-5. The sweep was the first ever for the Blue Jays against Saint Joseph's as the Monks had won 11 of 15 games between the teams since joining the GNAC in 2008.
Sciglimpaglia allowed five hits, two walks and struck out eight in the opener. Talllman also allowed five hits, walked none and struck out five.
USJ took a 2-0 lead in the game one with two first-inning runs. Haley McCall (Lebanon, Conn.) led off with a single to center and eventually came around to score on a one-out error. Mary Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) hit a sacrifice fly to score twin sister Patti for a 2-0 score.
Victoria Ramos (North Scituate, R.I.) and Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) had singles to start the Monks' third inning and an infield error loaded the bases. Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) had a two-run single to tie the score, but Patti Sciglimpaglia worked out of a no-out, two-on jam.
The Blue Jays grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Tallman singled, stole second and slid under an attempted tag on a play at the plate after Mary Sciglimpaglia's single to center field. Emily Vigue had a two-out single through the right side to score Mary Sciglimpaglia.
The Monks threatened in the seventh. Ramos doubled and Jordan singled with one out. Shannon Laubauskas (Mexico, Maine) ripped a ball to shortstop, but Sarah Miller (Southington, Conn.) made a diving catch and threw to Vigue at first to double off the runner and end the game.
Patti Sciglimpaglia had three hits and three RBI to lead USJ in the late game and McCall had two hits and scored twice. The Blue Jays got on the board with two runs in the third to lead 2-0. Sarah Ercoli (Watertown, Conn.) and McCalll singled, Miller bunted them over and Patti Sciglimpaglia had a two-run single to right. USJ made it 4-0 in the fifth. Miller singled, Patti Sciglimpaglia reached on an error and Tallman and Mary Sciglimpaglia followed with RBI-singles.
The Monks broke through in the sixth. Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine) hit a two-out triple to the fence in center field and Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) singled to center field. USJ completed the scoring when Patti Sciglimpaglia singled home McCall from second with two out in the sixth.
USJ hosts Johnson & Wales in a GNAC doubleheader Thur. April 16 at 3 p.m. Saint Joseph's College hosts Anna Maria Wednesday at 3 p.m. for a conference doubleheader.
COURTESY OF USJ SPORTS INFORMATION
#GOMONKS
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!
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.
