STANDISH, ME - A three-run home run off the bat of Emily Leverone '11 (Hampton, NH) in the first inning of a GNAC Quarter-Final, along with seven strong innings from starter Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, ME), gave the #2 seed Saint Joseph's (27-10, 18-6 GNAC) a 3-0 victory over #3 Suffolk University (22-17, 17-7) on Friday afternoon at Ward Park. The tater was Leverone's 8th of the season and Walsh improves to 10-3 on the season after allowing eight hits with one walk and four strike outs in the complete game effort.

Suffolk defeated #7 Rivier College in the first game of the day at Ward Park on the campus of Saint Joseph's College. After 5 ½ scoreless innings, the Rams notched the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth when Cali Loura '12 (Farmington, CT) scored on a Marie Trainor '09 (Winthrop, MA) base hit. The run was of the unearned variety, as a Raiders miscue preceded the play.

Rivier starter Monica White '10 (Augusta, ME) tossed six innings, allowing just two hits and a walk with eight punch outs in the hard-luck loss. Rams hurler Elizabeth Galvin '12 (Medway, MA) allowed four hits and one base on balls with four K's in seven innings in the circle to collect the win.

The Lady Monks were only able to muster six hits off Suffolk starter Carissa Roche '12 (Swampscott, MA) in the nightcap, with three of those coming in the first frame. Alysn Ludwig '09 (Waldoboro, ME) and Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) set the table for Leverone's fireworks with singles in the three-run first. Roche allowed just one SJC runner to touch third base for the remainder of the game.

The Rams managed to get runners on base in all but the sixth inning and had players on second and third in the top of the fifth, but were unable to capitalize and wound up stranding nine runners in the loss.

Ferreira and Karina Bolster '12 (Carlisle, PA) both notched two hits for Suffolk and Roche allowed six hits, three earned runs, three walks and fanned a pair in the setback.

Saint Joseph's will take on top-seeded Emerson College in a 2:00 PM winner's bracket contest on Saturday at Lasell College. Suffolk will play #8 Simmons and Rivier will take on #4 Pine Manor in loser's bracket games at Lasell, at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, respectively, tomorrow. The tournament follows standard double-elimination guidelines.