FORT MYERS, FL - Saint Joseph's College (1-1) defeated SUNY-Oswego, 9-1, in a mercy rule-shortened game to open the season before falling to Wheaton College, 2-1, in their second contest on Monday. Against Oswego, Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, ME) scattered two hits while fanning five to earn the victory and Liddy van der Linden '10 (Worcester, MA) and Emily Leverone '11 (Hampton, NH) both knocked in three runs. Pitcher Madylan Kluna '12 (Standish, ME) suffered the game two loss without yielding an earned run and whiffing four batters. Alysn Ludwig '09 (Waldoboro, ME) went 2-3 in the setback.

GAME ONE

St. Joe's scored all nine runs in the first two innings. The Lady Monks plated three runs in the first inning, with two scores coming off an Alyssa Dunn '11 (Standish, ME) double with the bases loaded. Leverone sent van der Linden home with a single to cap the scoring in the first frame.

Kerri Starr '09 (Newburgh, NY) led off the bottom of the first for Oswego with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Walsh fanned the next three hitters to avoid allowing a run to cross.

Liz Jordan '09 (Sandwich, MA), Ludwig and Jillian Kimball '10 (Albany Township, ME) loaded the bases to start the top of the second and all scored on a van der Linden double. Dunn followed with a base knock and Samantha Gray '12 (Yarmouth, ME) recorded a pair of RBI's with a double, her first collegiate hit. Jordan closed out the scoring in the six-run inning with a single to send home Gray and lift the Royal Blue to a decided 9-0 advantage.

Oswego scored their lone run in the bottom of the second. Elyse Youngman '10 (Henrietta, NY) led off with a single and later scored on a groundout to short by Christine Linguanti '11 (Monroe, NY).

Walsh rolled for the final three innings, forcing seven groundouts without allowing a Lakers base runner to reach to notch her first win of the year, in her first start, in a mercy rule-shortened game.

For St. Joe's, Dunn was 3-3 with two doubles and two RBI's, Jordan 2-3 with a run and an RBI, Leverone 2-3 with a double and three RBI's and Kimball 2-4 with two runs scored.

Starr and Youngman netted the only hits for their team while starting pitcher Erika Ayers '10 (Holley, NY) was hit with the loss.

GAME TWO

Wheaton scored both of its runs in the bottom of the second after SJC starting pitcher Madylan Kluna misplayed a bunt off the bat of Salka. Tratner followed with a walk to load the bases and Poplaski was hit by pitch, allowing DeRosa to score the first run of the contest. Hobocan singled in Salka to cap the Lyons' scoring for the inning and the game. As it turned out, two scores was all Lyons starter Andrea Bagley '10 (Foxboro, MA) would require to record the victory.

The Lady Monks answered with their only run of the game in the top of the third. Jordan led off the frame and reached after getting hit by a pitch and was replaced by a pinch runner, Caitlin Schrum '12 (Littleton, NH). Ludwig and Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) hit consecutive singles to load the bases and Kimball hit a groundball to shortstop Hunt, who threw to third for the force, allowing Schum to cross the plate. The opportunity was there for St. Joe's to cause more damage, but Bagley settled in, striking out van der Linden and forcing Dunn to ground out to third to neutralize the threat. The junior hurler allowed only three baserunners - Ashley Geel '12 (St. George, ME) singled to notch her first collegiate base knock in the fourth, Kimball walked in the fifth and Maria Labbe '12 (Lewiston, ME) walked in the seventh - to reach base in the last four frames.

Unfortunately for Kluna, who was making her first collegiate start, her miscue in the second inning tarnished an otherwise excellent appearance in the circle. Only four Wheaton runners reached after the second frame.

Saint Joseph's continues its southern swing on Tuesday with single games against Carroll University (WI) and Rockford College (IL). The first game begins at 9:00 AM, the second at 11:00 AM.