STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College 17-15, 5-1 GNAC) posted a pair of victories over Rivier University (14-20, 4-6 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader at Richard W. Bailey Field on Saturday afternoon. The Monks opened with an 8-6 win and accomplished the sweep with a 6-3 triumph.
SAINT JOSEPH'S 8, RIVIER 6:
The Raiders scored a run off two hits in the top of the first, but the Monks answered with two runs off two knocks in the bottom of the frame, when sophomore Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) roped an RBI single and junior Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) sent home a run with an infield ground out.
Rivier tied the game in the top of the second when freshman Kylee Caetano (New Bedford, Mass.) produced a two-out, RBI single. St. Joe's reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third, when Goodnough delivered a run with a sac fly and Foley singled and scored on an infield miscue.
The GNAC rivals plated three runs apiece during the fourth frame to make it a 7-5 game. Freshman Hayley Rapaglia (Methuen, Mass.) notched an RBI single and first-year Christina Panagiotopoulos (Lowell, Mass.) worked a bases loaded walk for the visitors and SJC senior Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine) roped a run-scoring single while Foley and Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) knocked in runs with infield ground outs to help the Monks preserve the two-run lead.
Junior Kayla Miles (Londonderry, N.H.) registered an RBI single for the Raiders in the top of the fifth to make it a 7-6 game, but the Monks regained the two-run cushion when Goodnough sent Tirrell home on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the sixth. Rivier had the bases loaded with two out in the top of the seventh, but SJC senior hurler Sydney Hatch (Newburgh, Maine) struck out Rapaglia to close out the victory.
IN THE CIRCLE:
SJC starter Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) improved to 10-2 on the season after allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits and five walks with two K's in four innings and Hatch picked up her first save of the season after giving up an unearned run on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts in three innings of relief.
Rivier starter Nicole Verrette (Haverhill, Mass.) suffered the loss and falls to 4-6 on the season after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits with two punchouts over five frames. Sophomore Courtney Marioles (Franklin, N.H.) worked a scoreless inning in relief.
AT THE BAT:
- Freshman Hannah Gosselin (Biddeford, Maine), senior Emily Eagleston (Reading, Mass.), freshman Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine), Tirrell, Howe, and Foley recorded two hits apiece while Goodnough registered three RBI without having a base hit
- For Rivier, Caetano, Panagiotopoulos, and Miles posted two hits apiece
SAINT JOSEPH'S 6, RIVIER 3:
The Monks scored single runs in the first and third innings, as Foley tallied an RBI knock in the former and crossed the plate on a Goodnough double in the latter to lift the hosts to a 2-0 lead.
The Raiders got on the board with a run on three hits in the fourth, but Saint Joseph's claimed a 5-1 advantage after scoring three times off four hits in the bottom of the inning, when Goodnough and Paige Connery (Tyngsboro, Mass.) lofted sacrifice flies and sophomore Rylee Page (Somersworth, N.H.) delivered an RBI single. Rivier plated a pair off three hits in the sixth, but the Monks earned an insurance run in the bottom of the inning when Cloutier singled home freshman pinch runner Ahna Dostie (Lewiston, Maine) to account for the 6-3 final score.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Eagleston picked up her fourth win of the season after allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks with three K's in a complete game performance. Rivier graduate starter Sydney Greeno (Shirley, Mass.) fell to 5-9 after giving up five runs (four earned) on 11 hits in three innings while Marioles yielded a run off five hits in three frames of relief duty.
AT THE BAT:
- Foley and Howe registered three hits apiece while sophomore Abby Carpenter (Bath, Maine), Tirrell, Goodnough, Page, and Cloutier tacked on two hits each
- For Rivier, Olivia Couto (Fairhaven, Mass.), Avry Nelson (Methuen, Mass.), and Miles notched two hits apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 28-5 all-time versus Rivier University and has now defeated the Raiders in eight consecutive meetings.
NEXT!
The Monks return to action on Tuesday with a two-game set at home against non-conference foe Bowdoin College. The opener is slated to start at 5:00 PM.
Tomorrow's GNAC doubleheader at Norwich University has been postponed due to incoming rain.
