Standish, ME - Hitting was the key for the Saint Joseph's College softball team in its sweep of Salem State College on Wednesday. The wins extend the SJC streak to four victories in a row as they improve to 13-16 overall.
The Monks received a four-hitter from SO Gabrielle Burrola (Gallup, NM) to take the first game of the doubleheader, 9-1, and SR Colleen Delahanty (Warren, ME) earned a 7-6 extra-inning win in game two.
St. Joe's got on the board early and often in game one, plating five runs in the first two innings. After singles by FY Anna Willis (Gorham, ME) and Burrola, JR Megan Farrell (Abington, MA) hit a 2-RBI double and went home on a double by FY Liddy van der Linden (Worcester, MA). SR Jaime Daugherty (Bass Harbor, ME) singled to score Linden and make it 4-0. SO Aly Ludwig (Waldoboro, ME) scored off a single by Burrola in the fifth inning to go up 5-0.
The Monks surrendered a walk to Kara Beauregard in the sixth and she went on to score the lone Salem State run of the game after a single by Jess Baird.
FY Kayla Soucy (Colebrook, NH) ripped her second double of the season as the Monks plated four more runs on three hits in the 6th to end the game.
Willis, Burrola, SR Amanda Roy (Winslow, ME) and FY Jillian Kimball (Albany Twp., ME) had two hits apiece.
Game two was a different story as the Monks fell behind early and had to mount an exciting comeback to tie the game and force and extra inning.
The Vikings jumped out with four runs on five hits in the first.
SR Sarah Martin (Athol, MA) singled home SR Jamie Morrison (Auburn, ME) to make it 4-1 in the second. Salem added another run in the third but the Monks went to work in the bottom of the inning with two more runs after RBI-singles by Morrison and van der Linden made it 5-3.
Ludwig singled to start the seventh and scored off another Morrison hit. Roy ripped a 2-out RBI single to tie the game and force an extra frame.
Both teams had their opportunity beginning the eighth inning with a runner placed on second base. The Vikings scored a run off two hits in their half of the inning to put the pressure on the Monks. Soucy took second base for St. Joe's and went on to tie the game after Martin reached on an error. Kimball drew a walk and Ludwig took first on a fielder's choice that put Martin out at third. After Willis flew out for the second out, Burrola drilled an RBI double to give the Monks the win.
Morrison was 3/3 with 2 RBI and a run while van der Linden and Martin had two hits apiece in the win.
St. Joe's plays a doubleheader at Maine Farmington on 4/26 beginning at 3:00.
