WEST HARTFORD, CT - Saint Joseph's (17-7, 9-3 GNAC) split a pair of games with Saint Joseph (CT) (11-11, 5-7) on Wednesday, dropping the first game, 3-1, and winning the nightcap, 5-0. Game two starter Christy Wezowicz '10 (Granville, MA) fanned four and allowed two walks and six hits to collect her third career shutout and is now 5-1 on the season. Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) had three hits and Emily Leverone '11 (Hampton, NH) recorded two hits in the two-game set. The loss in the opener snapped the Lady Monks' 10-game winning streak.
Saint Joseph College senior catcher Katie Gaudiosi (Waterbury, CT) reached the 100-hit plateau for her career in a 4-for-6 showing on a windy and cold afternoon.
The Blue Jays got on the board first in game one when senior Nettie Marciano (South Windsor, CT) doubled before Gaudiosi hit an RBI double to plate Marciano to make it a 1-0 game after one. The Lady Monks retaliated with a run in the top of the second when Leverone singled and came around to score on a Katelyn Call '12 (Portland, ME/McAuley) single.
The home team would get the run right back in the bottom of the second as senior Hope Kelley (Gloucester, MA) hit a sac-fly to left which plated sophomore Susie Waters (Wrentham, MA) . In the bottom of the third, Blue Jays senior Michelle Lynch (Ludlow, MA) doubled to right center and Gaudiosi then took a 1-1 fastball to right field for the 100 th hit of her career. Lynch would make it a 3-1 game when Monica Lynch (Ludlow, MA) singled to center in the inning.
Blue Jays starting pitcher sophomore Sara Dudley (Dover, NH) retired ten St. Joe's batters in a row in the middle innings and the allowed just four hits en route to her eighth (8-2) victory of the season; Dudley struck out eight allowing just one earned run. St. Joe's starter Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, MA) took the loss, giving up 12 hits and three runs while striking out three. The sophomore hurler is now 6-2 in 2009.
In game two, the pitching was sharp for both sides through three innings as Dudley again took the hill for the Blue Jays while the Lady Monks sent Wezowicz to the circle in the nightcap.
In the top of the fourth, the visitors got the bats going when Willis singled down the left field line to lead off the inning. The junior advanced to second on a sac bunt from Liz Jordan '09 (Sandwich, MA) and Samantha Gray '12 (Yarmouth, ME) reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners. Junior shortstop Liddy van der Linden (Worcester, MA) then hit a triple to right to plate two and Leverone singled in van der Linden to make it a 3-0 game. Leverone would come around to score on a fielder's choice of the bat of Jillian Kimball '10 (Albany, ME) and the Monks led 4-0 after four.
The Blue Jays would have opportunities in the fifth and sixth but the Royal Blue defense was sharp and the visitors held on for a 5-0 shutout victory.
Dudley suffered the loss (8-3) allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits and three strikeouts. On the afternoon, Gaudiosi, Marciano, and Waters each collected four hits for the hosts.
St. Joe's will take on GNAC rival Norwich University on Friday in a twin bill scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM in Northfield, VT. The Blue Jays are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to New London, CT to take on non-conference opponent Mitchell College in a double-header at 3:00 PM.
MAJOR PORTIONS COURTESY OF SAINT JOSEPH COLLEGE (CT) SPORTS INFORMATION
