NEWTON, MA – Saint Joseph's (19-5, 11-3 GNAC) claimed the second conference sweep in as many days with two victories over Mount Ida College (9-14, 3-9 GNAC) on Sunday. The Monks edged the Mustangs, 5-2, in the opener and posted a 10-0 mercy-rule win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE
After two scoreless frames, the Monks broke through with four runs off five hits in the top of the third. Junior shortstop Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) and first-year first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) delivered run-scoring singles and junior left fielder Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) plated a pair with a base hit during the four-run frame.
In the next inning, sophomore third baseman Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) led off with a single and promptly moved into scoring position by stealing second. The next batter, senior center fielder Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.), sent her teammate scrambling home with a base hit to cap the Monks scoring in the opening contest.
The Mustangs found the scoreboard when junior Devan Meeker (Bantam, Conn.) tripled to plate Megan Hall (Danielson, Conn.), who doubled, and later scored on a Cassie Durand (Dracut, Mass.) single.
Heather Tripp (Lovell, Maine), Shufelt, Moore and Mayhew all went 2-4 in the victory and senior hurler Kayla Vannah (Waldoboro, Maine) improved to 6-3 on the season after allowing two runs off five hits with five strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.
Meeker took the loss for the Mustangs after surrendering five runs off 12 hits with three K's over seven frames.
GAME TWO
In the closing contest, the Monks achieved a mercy-rule triumph by tallying a run in the second, four in the third, two in the second and three in the fifth en route to posting the team's fifth-consecutive GNAC victory.
In the second, Hendrix singled to center and later scored when pitcher Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, Mass.) reached on an infield error. St. Joe's proceeded to obtain a 5-0 lead when Tripp rapped a two-run double and scored on a Hendrix ground-rule two-bagger in the top of the third.
In the fourth, Moore plated Shufelt with a two-base hit and scored when the next batter, Tripp, singled. The Monks went on to make it a 10-0 game when Mayhew scored on a wild pitch, Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.) tapped the plate on a Marissa Hernandez (Goshen, N.Y.) base hit, and Alyssa Wade (Peru, Maine) sprinted home on a Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) groundout in the top of the fifth.
Offensively, Moore, Tripp, Hendrix and Mayhew all went 2-3 in the victory. Copan improved to 6-1 after tossing five innings of four-hit ball with a trio of punch-outs.
For the Mustangs, Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, N.J.) was 2-2 and Allie Norris (Plymouth, Mass.) was handed the loss after giving up 10 runs (seven earned) off 10 hits and two walks with three K's over five innings.
Saint Joseph's is off until Friday when the Royal Blue hosts GNAC-rival Simmons College in a twinbill set to start at 3:30 PM. Mount Ida plays at Norwich University on Wednesday at 3:00 PM.
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.
