LEESBURG, Fla. - Saint Joseph's College (3-5) split a pair of games in The Spring Games at the Sleepy Hollow Complex on Friday. The Monks opened the day with a mercy-rule 10-2 victory over MCLA (0-2) and suffered a 1-0 setback at the hands of Bethany College (4-2) in the nightcap.
GAME ONE:
After scoring only two runs over the last 14 innings, the Monks' bats exploded for 10 runs on 14 hits in five innings in a lopsided win over the Trailblazers.
St. Joe's kicked off the scoring blitz with two runs in the bottom of the first when freshman Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) roped a two-run double to right-center. The Monks doubled their lead in the second inning after sophomore Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) and Foley ripped RBI singles.
MCLA made it a 4-2 game with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but the Monks responded in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single off the bat of senior Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine) and put the tilt out of reach with three runs on four hits and an MCLA error in the fourth inning. Sophomore Alexis Downs (Auburn, Maine) posted an RBI double, second-year Taylor Owen (Wakefield, Mass.) added a run-scoring single, and freshman shortstop Rylee Page (Somersworth, N.H.) singled and scored on an infield error to lift SJC to a 7-2 advantage.
St. Joe's went on to claim the eight-run rule triumph in the bottom of the fifth when Downs and freshman Katie Bent (Andover, N.H.) both registered sacrifice flies.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- Junior Emily Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) improved to 2-1 on the season after giving up two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts over five innings
- MCLA starter Sarah Williams took the loss after yielding 10 runs (nine earned) off 14 hits and three free passes in 4.2 innings
OFF THE BAT:
- Emery was 3-for-4 with a run, a stolen base, and an RBI
- Foley went 2-for-3 with three RBI
- Goodnough was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI
- Junior first baseman Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine) went 2-for-2 with two runs, a double and a stolen base
- Page added two hits and a run in three at-bats
GAME TWO:
The Monks' final contest of the trip turned out to be a pitchers' duel, as SJC junior starter Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) and Bethany hurlers Jennica Levermann Josie Wise faced off to allow just one run in the game.
The Bison scored what proved to be the only run of the game with one out in the bottom of the first inning, when Allen doubled to left and later crossed the plate on a Oberthur ground out.
The Monks had their chances to score in the first few innings but were unable to mount a rally as the game progressed as Bethany reliever managed to sit down the last six batters – five by way of strikeout – in the final two frames.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- Pence pitched quite well but suffered the loss despite allowing one run off seven hits and three walks with six K's in six innings
- For Bethany, Levermann earned the win with five four-hit, scoreless innings and Wise picked up the save after fanning five of the six batters she faced in the closing two innings
OFF THE BAT:
- Lexie Vetter and Carli Julio posted two hits apiece and were the only repeat-hitters in the spring trip contest
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's is back in action on Wednesday, March 30th when University of Southern Maine comes to Standish for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 4:00 PM.
