WEST HAVEN, CT – The Saint Joseph's softball team (10-2, 2-0 GNAC) opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a pair of victories over Albertus Magnus College (4-6, 0-2 GNAC) at West Haven High School on Saturday evening.

Saint Joseph's managed to come from behind in both contests, wiping out a 2-1 deficit in the opener before overcoming a 3-0 discrepancy in the nightcap to kick off the conference docket with two victories over a much-improved Albertus Magnus squad.

Senior pitcher Kayla Vannah (Waldoboro, Maine) tossed seven innings of two-run (one earned), seven-hit ball with four strikeouts and junior second baseman Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) went 4-4 with a run, a double and an RBI to lead the Monks to a 6-2 opening victory.

With the help of an Albertus error, Saint Joseph's grabbed an early lead in the top of the first when junior left fielder Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) plated senior center fielder Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.) with a groundout to second base.

The slim lead remained until the bottom of the third when the Falcons earned a 2-1 advantage with a pair of runs off two hits and a Saint Joseph's miscue. Freshman third baseman Veronica Hribko (East Haven, Conn.) notched an RBI single and scored when the following hitter, sophomore shortstop Elaina Maio (West Haven, Conn.), belted a triple.

The Monks erased their deficit and then some in the top of the fifth when the Royal Blue claimed the lead for good with four runs off four hits. Sophomore third baseman Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) led off the frame with a single, stole second, and scored on a Shufelt base knock to tie the game at two-apiece. Shufelt and Grovo, who reached with a base hit, both scored on a Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) double and Hendrix sent Moore sprinting home with a groundout to second, lifting Saint Joseph's to a 5-2 cushion.

St. Joe's tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Jordan led off with a double and scored on a Grovo single, capping the game scoring with the visitors on top by a 6-2 margin.

Freshman pitcher Jackie Medina (Bridgeport, Conn.) took the loss for the Falcons after yielding five earned runs off nine hits and a pair of walks with five K's over seven innings.

The Monks' bats came to life in the nightcap, as the visitors registered 19 hits and four walks without a strikeout out en route to earning a 13-4 triumph. Hendrix led the charge by going 4-5 with four runs, three doubles and four RBI and Shufelt sparked the offense with four hits, two runs, a triple and an RBI atop the SJC lineup. Senior catcher Heather Tripp (Lovell, Maine) contributed three hits and a pair of RBI, Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) went 2-5 with two runs batted in, and Jordan chipped in with two hits, two runs and an RBI for Saint Joseph's.

Prior to Saturday's closing contest, the Monks had not played a game without posting a strikeout at the bat since the Royal Blue defeated Rivier College, 11-0 in a mercy-rule contest on April 13th, 2012. The last time an opponent failed to fan a Saint Joseph's hitter in a seven inning game: April 3rd, 2010, when the Monks topped Johnson & Wales University by a 7-2 score at Richard W. Bailey Field.

In the circle, junior Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, Mass.) allowed four runs off eight hits with five K's to collect the win and improve to 4-0 on the season. Hendrix tossed a scoreless seventh with a pair of strikeouts to close out the contest.

Albertus Magnus opened the scoring in the closing contest with three runs off four hits in the bottom of the third inning. Hribko recorded an RBI single and freshman shortstop Isabel Lopez (West Haven, Conn.) plated a pair with a bases-loaded knock to put the hosts on top, 3-0, through three full frames.

Saint Joseph's chipped away at the Falcons' lead with a run in the top of the fourth. Hendrix led off with a double and tapped the plate on a Mayhew single, making it a 3-1 game.

The Monks assumed the lead for good by scoring three runs off five hits in the top of the fifth. Jordan opened the frame with a double and sauntered home on a Shufelt triple to deep right. After two quick outs, Hendrix plated Shufelt with a two-bagger and scored when the next hitter, Tripp, singled to lift the Royal Blue to a 4-3 edge.

The floodgates opened in the top of the sixth when Saint Joseph's scored six runs off seven hits to claim complete control of the contest. Grovo, Moore and Alyssa Wade (Peru, Maine) each drove in a run and Hendrix plated a pair to help the Monks secure a 10-3 lead.

Lopez belted a long home run to left  with one out in the bottom of the sixth to cut the hosts' deficit down to 10-4, but any hopes of a comeback were dashed when the Monks took their next turn at bat, as the Royal Blue scored three runs in the seventh to close out the game scoring. Hendrix, Tripp and Mayhew drove in a run apiece to account for the 13-4 final.

Junior pitcher Melissa Manning (Milford, Conn.) went the distance for the Falcons, allowing 13 runs off 19 hits and four walks over seven innings.

With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 13-0 in the history of the series with Albertus Magnus College.

Saint Joseph's resumes play with a pair of GNAC games at University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Sunday afternoon.

Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 350-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.