STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (28-4, 20-2 GNAC) clinched the top seed in the upcoming 2014 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament with a pair of 10-2 victories over University of Saint Joseph (CT) (20-9, 15-5 GNAC) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Saturday afternoon.

With the results, Saint Joseph's – winners of the last three GNAC Championships - will host the GNAC Tournament for the first time in seven years as a conference member, starting with a pair of tourney tilts at Bailey Field on Friday and concluding with the conference championship on Sunday afternoon. The complete tournament bracket will be announced on Monday evening.

The Monks were sound on all fronts in today's sweep over the Blue Jays, who entered the opener having won 11-consecutive games and sitting in second place in the GNAC standings. Saint Joseph's registered 24 total hits, including 10 of the extra-base variety, while allowing just seven hits and two extra-base knocks in the sweep.

GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 10, University of Saint Joseph 2

The first contest looked to be closely contested in the early going, as the hosts scored twice off a Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) double to the right field wall in the second and secured a 3-0 lead when Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) doubled and scored on an outfield bobble in the bottom of the fourth.

Senior pitcher Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, Mass.) carried a perfect game into the fifth, but saw her bid for perfection dashed when Ashley Tucker (Middletown, Conn.) singled through the right side with two out in the fifth frame. The following batter, senior third baseman Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, Conn.), effectively ended Copan's shutout effort and changed the complexion of the contest – however briefly - when she launched a two-run homer over the left-center fence.

Leading 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Monks proceeded to plate seven runs on seven hits and a pair of Blue Jays errors to claim a mercy-rule victory. Senior Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) belted her first home run of the season, a three-run jack to deep left-center, and Hendrix added a two-run blast to dead center to make it an 8-2 game. With two out, senior second baseman Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) doubled down the left field line, driving in Victoria Ramos (North Scituate, R.I.) and Murphy, to account for the 10-2 final score.

For the Monks, Hendrix was 2-3 with two runs, a double, a homer and two RBI, Murphy went 2-2 with a run, a double and a pair of RBI and Grovo was 2-4 with a run, a two-bagger and two RBI. Freshman shortstop Danica Gleason (South Portland, Maine) and sophomore first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) added two hits apiece in the victory.

Copan improved to 12-2 on the season after allowing two runs on two hits with seven strikeouts in the shortened contest.

Sophomore pitcher Patti Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) took the loss and falls to 9-3 on the year after yielding six runs (five earned) off eight hits with three K's and sophomore Emily Vigue (Lebanon, Conn.) surrendered four runs (two earned) off five hits and a walk in 0.2 innings of relief.

GAME TWO – Saint Joseph's 10, University of Saint Joseph 2

The Monks kicked off the game-two scoring with an unearned run in the bottom of the second, when Hendrix reached on a one-out single to center and scored on an infield error.

The Blue Jays went on to secure their first – and only – lead of the day with a pair of unearned runs of their own in the top of the third. With two out, Vigue reached on a misplayed ball in the infield and Sciglimpaglia followed with a double to left, putting a pair of runners in scoring position for senior shortstop Ashley Gall (Stafford Springs, Conn.), who sent both of her teammates home with a single to right, lifting the visitors to a 2-1 edge.

Saint Joseph's answered in their next turn, scoring five runs off five hits to collect a 6-2 cushion through three frames. Moore plated Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine) and Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine), who reached via walk and single, respectively, with a double to left-center and promptly scored when the following hitter, Gleason, tripled to left. Hendrix capped the inning with a two-run jack, her second blast of the day, well beyond the left field fence.

The four-run advantage remained until the bottom of the fifth, when the Royal Blue scored four to notch another walk-off, mercy-rule triumph. Hendrix and Mayhew led off with consecutive singles and both runners scored – the latter on a throwing error - when pinch hitter Molly Mack (Portland, Maine/McAuley) singled through the right side. The next batter, Jordan, provided the Monks with as dramatic a finish as one could hope for in a mercy-rule win, driving a two-run homer over the left field wall to account for the 10-2 final.

For the Monks, Hendrix was 3-3 with three runs, a homer and two RBI, Jordan went 2-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI, and Mayhew added two hits and a run in three at bats. Starting pitcher Erica Boulanger (Somersworth, N.H.) improves to 4-1 on the year after allowing a pair of unearned runs off five hits with one strikeout in five innings in the circle.

For the Blue Jays, Sciglimpaglia went 2-3 with a run and a double and starter Danielle Circosta (Feeding Hills, Mass.) took the loss after giving up 10 runs (eight earned) off 11 hits with six K's in 4.2 innings.

With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 11-4 in the history of the series with University of Saint Joseph and has defeated the Blue Jays in four-consecutive meetings.

The Monks will host University of New England in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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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 430-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.