CLERMONT, Fla.- Saint Joseph's College (2-4) fell to Aurora University (5-1), 10-6, and defeated Mitchell College (2-5), 8-0 in five innings, on the team's third day of games in THE Spring Games on Wednesday afternoon.
AURORA def. SAINT JOSEPH'S, 10-6
The Monks' bats exploded for five runs off five hits in the top of the second, as seniors Madisyn Charest (Sidney, Maine) and Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine) and freshman Lauren Leidemann-Smith (South Berwick, Maine) rapped RBI singles and junior Meranda Martin (Richmond, Maine) knocked in a pair with a base hit to lift the Royal Blue to an early lead.
Aurora answered with four runs in the top of the third, when Ashley Talaga roped a two-run double and Megan Schwartz deposited a two-run homer beyond the outfield fence. St. Joe's padded the lead with a run off two hits and an error in the bottom of the third to make it a 6-4 game.
In the top of the fourth the Spartans closed the gap when Aly Teixeira singled and scored on a groundout off the bat of pinch-hitter Kylie Baldwin.
Unfortunately for the Monks, the game took a turn for the worse in the top of the seventh, as Aurora plated five runs – all unearned - off four hits and an error to claim a 10-6 lead. After sitting down six straight batters, including four via strikeout, senior pitcher Caitlyn King (Old Town, Maine) ran into trouble and was lifted in favor of freshman hurler Emily Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) after allowing three runs.
IN THE CIRCLE:
SJC freshman starter Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) allowed five runs off four hits with two strikeouts in three innings and King, who suffered the loss, yielded five unearned runs off four hits and a walk with four K's over 3.2 innings. Eagleston gave up one hit in 0.1 innings of relief.
Aurora reliever Cassaty Farnum earned the victory after tossing four shutout innings while allowing three hits and fanning three batters.
SAINT JOSEPH'S STANDOUTS:
- Martin went 2-4 with a run and two RBI
- Leidemann-Smith was 2-4 with a double and an RBI
- Senior Maizie Lee (Saco, Maine) was 2-4 with two runs and a double
- Charest went 2-3 with a run and an RBI
OPPONENT'S LEADERS:
- Schwartz was 3-4 with a home run and three RBI
- Teixeira went 2-4 with two RBI
SAINT JOSEPH'S def. MITCHELL, 8-0 (5 innings)
The Monks notched their first mercy-rule win of the season after playing well in all facets, as the SJC position players tallied 14 hits and did not commit an error and a pair of St. Joe's pitchers combined to toss five innings of six-hit ball.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Saint Joseph's freshman starter Sydney Hatch improves to 1-1 on the season after scattering five hits and fanning a pair over four innings while senior Kate Whitney (Jonesboro, Maine) allowed a hit and struck out one in an inning of relief.
Mitchell starter Kacee Hirst yielded eight runs off 14 hits and a walk with three K's over five frames and falls to 2-4 on the year with the setback.
SAINT JOSEPH'S STANDOUTS:
- Junior Megan Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) was 3-3 with a run and four RBI
- Pomerleau went 3-4 with two runs, an RBI, and two stolen bases
- Leidemann-Smith added a run, two hits, an RBI and a stolen base in four at-bats
NEXT!
The Monks continue the southern swing tomorrow with games versus Chatham (3:00 PM) and Ohio Northern (5:15 PM).
