STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (16-14, 12-4 GNAC) swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader with Emmanuel College (15-17, 12-8 GNAC) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Thursday evening. The Monks opened with a 2-1 triumph in a 10-inning opener and closed out the two-game set with a 6-1 win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 2, Emmanuel 1 (10)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Neither team managed to score until the international tiebreaker rule came into play in the eighth, when both teams pushed across a run. Saint Joseph's delivered the winning run in the bottom of the 10th when sophomore shortstop Meghan Elliott (Blackstone, Mass.), who began the inning on second base, scored on a misplayed ball hit by senior catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.).
IN THE CIRCLE:
As the score would suggest, the contest was a classic pitcher's duel, as Saint Joseph's senior Kylie McFadden (Dover, N.H.) scattered five hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 9.2 innings to improve to 8-5 on the year while Emmanuel hurler Jill Kilcoyne yielded just three hits with a walk and six K's in 8.2 frames. She falls to 9-7 on the season.
OFF THE BAT – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore designated player Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) was 1-3 with an RBI double
- Elliott went 1-3 with a run scored
OFF THE BAT – EMMANUEL:
- Freshman right fielder Sarah Hoisl (West Hartford, Conn.) was 2-4 with an RBI
GAME TWO – Saint Joseph's 6, Emmanuel 1
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Emmanuel struck first in the closing contest with a run off one hit in the top of the second, when senior first baseman Susie Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) doubled, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on a Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) sac fly.
The Monks answered immediately with two runs off two hits and an Emmanuel error in the bottom of the second, when Smith and senior third baseman Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine) scored on a double off the bat of freshman left fielder Kaylee Burns (Saco, Maine).
The Monks' 2-1 advantage remained until the bottom of the fourth, when the hosts plated four runs off three hits and a Saints miscue en route to securing a 6-1 cushion. Burns earned a bases-loaded walk, sophomore right fielder Katie Chadbourne (Jaffrey, N.H.) delivered a run with a fielder's choice, and senior center fielder Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine) produced a two-run single during the four-run frame.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Smith improved to 6-5 after allowing one run off five hits and a walk while fanning 10 batters in a complete-game effort. Megan Kieselback suffered the loss for Emmanuel and falls to 5-7 after giving up six runs (three earned) off seven hits and two free passes in six innings.
OFF THE BAT – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Smith was 2-3 with a run scored
- Harrison went 1-3 with a pair of runs
- Burns was 1-2 with a run, a double, and three RBI
- Tripp added a single, a walk, and two RBI in four plate appearances
OFF THE BAT – EMMANUEL:
- Megan Kieselback was 2-2 with an RBI
- Susie Kieselback went 1-3 with a double and a run scored
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 21-3 in the history of the series with Emmanuel College. Last spring, the Saints swept the Monks in Boston with 1-0 and 2-1 conference victories.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's plays two at Mount Ida College tomorrow (3:00 PM) while Emmanuel closes out the regular season with a doubleheader at Albertus Magnus College Saturday (12:00 PM).
#GOMONKS
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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.
