BOSTON, Mass. - #3 Saint Joseph's College (12-22) defeated second-seeded Suffolk University (21-17), 6-4, in 11 innings and fell to top-seeded Emmanuel College (25-12), 4-2, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Tournament action at Roberto Clemente Field on Thursday evening.
The Basics:
Score: Saint Joseph's College (ME) 6; Suffolk University 4 (11 innings)
Records:
Saint Joseph's College (ME) Monks, 12-21
Suffolk University Rams, 21-17
Location: Boston, Mass. - Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019
The Lead:
Sophomore Grace Chadbourne's (Jaffrey, N.H.) pinch hit single in the top of the 11th inning broke a 3-3 tie before Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) added two insurance runs with a 2-RBI double to power Saint Joseph's College past Suffolk University, 6-4, in Second Round action of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament.
How it Happened:
- The Monks sent the game to extras scoring one in the sixth and another in the seventh inning to lock the game at 3-3.
- Saint Joseph's made it 3-2 in the sixth with an unearned run before senior Danielle Pinkham (Damariscotta, Maine) scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to even the score at 3-3.
- Both squads bats went quiet for three innings until the 11th inning heroics by the Monks.
- The Rams jumped out to a 1-0 lead when freshman Caitlin Murphy (Abington, Mass.) scored on an error in the bottom of the first.
- Senior Jaclyn Flint (Medfield, Mass.) extended the Rams lead, 2-0, by scoring on a wild pitch.
- Bailey got things started for the Monks in the third with an RBI triple to right field that drove in freshman Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine), 2-1.
- Murphy scored for the Rams again in the fifth on an RBI single up the middle from junior Ashley Zulla (Columbus, N.J.) to bump the Suffolk lead to 3-1.
Score: Emmanuel College 4; Saint Joseph's College (ME) 2
Records:
Emmanuel College Saints, 25-12
Saint Joseph's College (ME) Monks, 12-22
Location: Boston, Mass.- Roberto Clemente Field
Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019
The Lead:
Senior shortstop Audrey Esakoff (Ventura, Calif.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI to power the #1N Emmanuel College softball team past #3N Saint Joseph's College (ME), 4-2, Thursday evening in Second Round action of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference softball tournament.
How it Happened:
- Esakoff got things started in the top of the second with a single up the middle that drove in two runs and put the Saints on top, 2-0.
- Junior Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda (South Boston, Mass.) extended the Saints' lead, 3-0, by scoring on a wild pitch.
- Saint Joe's junior Madisyn Charest (Sidney, Maine) closed gap for the Monks in the fourth bringing in two runs on a double to the left field fence, driving in a pair to cut the deficit to 3-2.
- The Saints got an insurance run in the sixth when senior Kerry Sendrick singled down the left field line driving in freshman Renae Lacroix (Cumberland, R.I.) to extend the Saints' lead, 4-2.
- EC senior hurler Megan Kieselback (Wethersfield, Conn.) made the lead stand up, retiring the side in order in the seventh to pick up the complete-game victory and improve to 12-5 on the year.
Inside the Numbers:
- Esakoff, Lacroix and Sendrick all finished with two hits each for Emmanuel.
- SJM junior pitcher Caitlyn King (Old Town, Maine) suffered the loss to fall to 6-11 on the year, going the distance and allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out two.
- Kieselback improves to 11-0 since March 31 in the circle.
- Junior Maizie Lee (Saco, Maine) was the lone Monk to collect multiple hits in the contest going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- The Saints match their 2018 win total at 25 and are now one win shy of tying the single-season program record of 26 wins back from the 2016 campaign.
Up Next:
- Emmanuel will take on #2S University of Saint Joseph (CT) in the Winner's Bracket championship game in the next round of the GNAC Tournament. The winner will advance to the GNAC Championship round and need just one more victory to capture the 2019 GNAC title.
- Saint Joseph's (ME) is back in action tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM in an elimination game vs. #3S Johnson & Wales University at Daly Field in Brighton, Mass.
COURTESY OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION