BOSTON, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (11-13, 7-5 GNAC) swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader versus Emmanuel College (12-15, 5-9 GNAC) on Wednesday evening. The Monks took the opener, 3-1, and completed the sweep with an 8-7 triumph, extending the team's winning streak to six games in the process.
GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 3, Emmanuel 1:
Emmanuel took a 1-0 lead with a run off a hit and an SJC error in the bottom of the third, when sophomore Sarah Hoisl (West Hartford, Conn.) reached on a wild pitch after striking out and later scored on an outfield miscue.
The Monks got on the board in the top of the fourth when sophomore third baseman Kaylee Burns (Saco, Maine) doubled and scored on a single off the bat of sophomore Maizie Lee (Saco, Maine). In the top of the sixth, Lee plated junior first baseman Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) to lift her team to a 2-1 lead and freshman left fielder Madeline Wood (Madison, Maine) led off the top of the seventh with her first collegiate home run, a solo shot to center field, to cap the game scoring.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- Junior Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) allowed an unearned run off four hits with four strikeouts in a complete-game victory
- Emmanuel junior starter Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) yielded three runs off seven hits with seven K's over seven frames
OFF THE BAT:
- Lee was 2-3 with a pair of RBI
- Wood went 2-3 with a solo home run
- Burns and Bailey both roped a double in the victory
- Emmanuel junior left fielder Olivia Burgos (Newington, Conn.) added two hits in three at-bats
GAME TWO – Saint Joseph's 8, Emmanuel 7:
The Monks trailed by a 3-1 margin going into the top of the third before Lee plated a pair with a double and later scored on a wild pitch to put the visitors ahead, 4-3.
St. Joe's claimed a 7-3 cushion in the fourth when junior right fielder Katie Chadbourne (Jaffrey, N.H.) belted a two-run homer, her first NCAA jack, to center field and Lee sent junior shortstop Meghan Elliott (Mendon, Mass.) home with a single up the middle.
Burgos cut the Saints' deficit to 7-6 when she lofted a three-run homer to center field in the bottom of the fourth and the Monks scored what proved to be a necessary insurance run in the sixth when sophomore second baseman Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine) scored on a Burns base hit.
With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Burgos hit a solo homer to left for what would have been the tying run if not for the RBI single by Burns.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- Sophomore Kate Whitney (Jonesboro, Maine) picked up the win after allowing six runs off six hits with two strikeouts over four innings
- Sophomore Caitlyn King (Old Town, Maine) earned her first save of the season after yielding a run off two hits with three punch-outs in three innings
- Burgos suffered the setback for the Saints after giving up eight runs (seven earned) off 13 hits and three walks with seven K's in seven frames
OFF THE BAT:
- Lee went 3-3 with a stolen base and three RBI
- Burns was 2-3 with two runs, a stolen base, and an RBI
- Pomerleau added two hits and a run in five at-bats
- Elliott went 2-4 with two runs and a double
- Burgos was 3-4 with three runs, two home runs, and five RBI
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 23-3 in the history of the series with Emmanuel College.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will travel to Rivier University on Saturday to face the Raiders in a GNAC doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM.
#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.
