COURTESY OF SOUTHERN MAINE SPORTS INFORMATION

GORHAM, ME - St. Joe's (24-13, 19-7 GNAC) lost to in-state rival Southern Maine (15-16) on Wednesday afternoon at Towers field in Gorham, 9-3. SO Anna Willis (Gorham, ME) continued to swing a hot bat and was 2-4 in the loss and starting pitcher SO Christy Wezowicz (Granville, MA) took the loss with 3 earned runs allowed in 5 innings to fall to 10-8 on the season. Senior pitcher Kristina Grondin (Sanford, Maine) struck out a career-high 13 to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies and improve her record to 10-3.

Grondin, who also had a solid game at the plate with a 3-for-4 effort with one RBI and three runs scored, earned her 10th win of the season to improve to 10-3 overall. The 5-8 right-hander scattered six hits over seven innings and did not give up a walk to allow two earned runs.

The Huskies' helped Grondin to the win early scoring seven of their nine runs in the first two innings. Southern Maine scored twice in the bottom of the first on four hits, including RBI singles from junior C Sabrina Sevigny (Sanford, Maine) and freshman 3B Stacey Stuart (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonskee).

USM led 7-0 after two innings plating five runs on four hits and one Monk error. Sevigny and Stuart again provided the Huskies' with their offensive fire power. Sevigny laced a two-out double down the left field line to score two runs, while Stuart drove in a pair of runs on a single. Stuart finished the game with four RBI on a 3-for-4 effort, while Sevigny added three RBI on two hits in three at bats with a run scored.

St. Joseph's pulled to within four of the Huskies scoring three runs in the top of the sixth on three hits and pair of USM errors.

Sophomore SS Liddy van der Linden (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) and freshman DH Alyssa Dunn (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) each had RBI singles in the inning. However, the Huskies answered back in the bottom of the inning with two runs on an RBI double from Grondin to right-center field and a single from Stuart.

#3 seed St. Joe's is set to play #6 Rivier College (20-11, 16-10 GNAC) in the quarterfinal round of the GNAC playoffs at Lasell College on Friday, April 25th at 4:00 PM.