Suffolk Walks Off with 2-1 Tourney Triumph in Nine Innings

EAST BOSTON – The top-seeded Suffolk softball team had a flare for the dramatic in its GNAC Tournament opener as a classic pitcher's duel took the game to nine innings before Delaney Sylvester barreled a two RBI bomb to send the Rams past fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's (Maine), 2-1, Thursday night at East Boston Memorial Park.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Suffolk 2, Saint Joseph's (Maine) 1

RECORDS: Suffolk (30-17) | Saint Joseph's (Maine) (20-18)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Ali Yamakaitis handled the circle for the full seven and then some. The senior RHP escaped a pair of innings with two runners to keep the Monks quiet and force the extra session.

Kate Whitney matched Yamakaitis' fire with some of her own heat as she kept the conference's best offense quiet through eight frames.

Everything came down to the ninth. Melodie Bailey started things off with a double to left center and turned on her wheels on Kaylee Burns single to right center to break open the scoring. Yamakaitis showed composure and leaned on her defense to keep the Monks at one.

With Jaclyn Flint on first and one out on the board Sylvester made connection with the ball and eruption soared in East Boston as the senior catcher sent a shot over the right field fence to secure the 2-1 win for the Rams. 

PITCHERS PICTURE

• Yamakaitis 9.0 inning day featured a stat line of one-run on seven hits and one walk with an impressive eight punchouts.
• Whitney let up a pair of runs on five hits and one walk with four Ks.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Sylvester's only hit of the day was the game-winning homer, which was good for two RBI and one run.
• Devlin Frost was the lone Ram to record multiple hits in the outing with a 2-for-3 effort.
• Flint had one hit and one run to her credit with Ashley Zulla rounding out the Rams with hits with one.
• Libby Pomerleau produced three of the Monks seven hits.
• Burns' double brought in SJC's only run, which was scored by Bailey, who recorded one hit.

Monks Slug Past Falcons in GNAC Tourney Opener

EAST BOSTON – The fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's (Monks) found itself in the winners' bracket as the Monks downed fifth-seed Albertus Magnus, 7-3, Thursday afternoon in the GNAC Tournament Second Round at East Boston Memorial Park.

SJC moved to 20-7 on the year with three different Monks recorded two-hit days: Libby Pomerleau, Kaylee Burns and Kristal Smith. Burns buoyed the trio with homer for two RBI with the third baseman scoring a pair of runs. Pomerleau provided one RBI and one run with Smith adding one run. Maizie Lee also sent a ball over the fence to collect three RBI and score one run for the hosts.

Albertus Magnus, who dipped 23-16, received two-hit efforts from both Brianna Whitfield and Melissa Castillo. Whitfield accounted for one of the Falcons' three runs with Daysia Wehder and Maxine Sanchez, who doubled, also scoring once.

Albertus Magnus grabbed an early one-run edge as Whitfield worked her way around the bases on a walk, passed ball and Melissa Castillo's single through the left side. The Falcons shortstop broke open the scoring on 4-3 ground-out by Laura Anderson before the Monks secured the final out to keep it a close contest.

St. Joe's answered and then some in the home half of the first. Pomerleau doubled through the left side and advanced to third as the ball went out of ball. Katie Chadbourne's single up the middle brought in the tying run before Maizie Lee went yard with a pair of runners on to flip the switch and give SJC a 4-1 lead.

The Falcons cut the deficit in half with one run in the top of the second before a rain delay ensued and the game was put on hold for 30 minutes.

With the sky clear and the field re-lined, the Monks added to their advantage with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third thanks to Burns' two-run homer to left center, the team's second jack of the day.

The score stood still from there until SJC added to its advantage in the bottom of the sixth and turned it into a 7-2 Monks' game.

Kristal Smith picked up the win to level her record at 9-9. The Monks' arm allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk and sat down one hitter. Fallon Speers slipped to 1-2 on the year after allowing seven runs on 10 hits and one walk.

Albertus Magnus looked for a comeback and managed to score one run in the seventh, but the Monks kept the Falcons quiet to hang on for the 7-2 win.

Saint Joseph's advances and will take on Suffolk in the second Thursday tilt in Eastie. Albertus Magnus, meanwhile, is back on the field at East Boston Memorial Park Saturday, May 5 at 10 a.m. in a win-or-go-home elimination game against Simmons.  

COURTESY OF SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION