Friday, April 25th: RESULTS
GAME 3: #5 Suffolk - 2 #4 University of Saint Joseph (CT) - 0 (@ Saint Joseph's) - BOX
GAME 4: #6 Norwich - 5, #3 Simmons College - 3 (@ Johnson & Wales) - BOX
GAME 5: #1 Saint Joseph's - 10, #5 Suffolk - 4 (@ Saint Joseph's) - BOX
GAME 6: #2 Johnson & Wales - 4, #6 Norwich - 3 (@ Johnson & Wales) - BOX
4/25/14 – Top-Seeded Monks Race Past #5 Rams, 10-4
STANDISH, ME – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (31-4, 20-2 GNAC) overcame a sluggish start to defeat #5 Suffolk University (21-22, 11-11 GNAC), 10-4, in a GNAC Softball Tournament contest at Richard W. Bailey Field on Friday afternoon.
Trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the first, the Monks quickly tied the game with two runs of their own in their first turn and claimed the lead for good, as it played out, with a pair of scores in the second frame. Saint Joseph's, which registered 16 hits in the victory, proceeded to put the game out of reach with six runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings combined.
The Rams scored two runs on four hits and stranded two on base in the top of the first. Senior catcher Erin McAndrews (Marblehead, Mass.) led off the contest with a sharp single through the left side and junior designated player Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) followed with a perfect sac bunt attempt that resulted in a hit. Both runners reached scoring position when the following batter, junior shortstop Nicole Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) grounded out. SJC starter Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, Mass.) induced a shallow fly to left to retire Anna Grace Maggs (Schenectady, N.Y.), but would not escape unscathed as Suffolk received back to back RBI singles from Meredith Ball (Nahant, Mass.) and Lindsay Pagano (Wyckoff, N.J.) to secure a 2-0 lead.
Suffolk starter Kim Crucioli (North Andover, Mass.) got off to a great start, sitting junior Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) with a shallow fly to center and fanning senior Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) to open the bottom of the first, but the situation unraveled quickly, starting with a two-out double off the bat of senior Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.). Freshman shortstop Danica Gleason (South Portland, Maine) strode to the plate and drove Moore home with a single to center and scored the tying run when senior left fielder Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) roped a base hit to right.
Crucioli's outing was a short one, as the freshman hurler was removed in favor of Chasse after giving up a lead-off single to junior right fielder Victoria Ramos (North Scituate, R.I.) in the bottom of the second. The junior would not fare much better, as the Monks managed to score twice off three hits and a Suffolk miscue to gain a 4-2 cushion. Ramos raced to second on a sac bunt attempt by center fielder Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine), who reached on an error by Chasse. Both outfielders moved up 60 feet on a passed ball and later scored on consecutive singles off the bats of Grovo and Gleason.
The Rams made it a one-run game with a run off three hits in the top of the third, when Rosa singled and later scored on a Pagano single to left field. Saint Joseph's countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, when sophomore first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) plated a pair with a single to right and freshman catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) drove in a run with a groundout to second to lift the hosts to a 7-3 lead.
Suffolk managed to chase Copan from the contest after the senior allowed a pair of singles with one out in the top of the fifth. Freshman Danielle Egan (Waterboro, Maine) took the senior's place in the circle and one runner – Maggs – scored on an infield error on her watch, but the first-year hurler finagled her way out of the situation, inducing an inning-ending popup with runners on first and third.
Saint Joseph's closed out the game scoring with a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Hendrix led off the inning with a triple to the right field fence and promptly scored when the next hitter, Mayhew, grounded out to second base. Murphy followed with a single through the left side and scored two batters later when Jordan singled to center, accounting for the 10-4 final.
Six different hitters recorded multiple hits for the Monks, a group led by Gleason, who went 3-4 with two runs and a pair of RBI in the six-run victory. Mayhew was 2-4 with three RBI while Jordan, Moore, Hendrix and Ramos all tallied two hits apiece on the afternoon.
Copan collected the win after allowing four runs (three earned) off 10 hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings while Egan was outstanding in relief, scattering two hits over 2.2 innings.
For the Rams, Pagano went 2-3 with a pair of RBI while Chasse, Rosa and Ball all posted a pair of hits in a losing effort. Crucioli took the loss despite throwing just one inning after yielding three runs (one earned) of five hits with a punch-out in the frame. Chasse allowed seven runs (six earned) off 11 hits and a pair of walks with five K's in five innings of relief.
The GNAC Tournament continues Saturday with four games, starting with a pair of elimination contests. The first losers' bracket tilt, featuring #3 Simmons College and #5 Suffolk, begins at 10:00 AM while fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (CT) faces #6 Norwich University in another elimination game at 12:00 PM.
The Monks advance to the winners' bracket with this afternoon's victory and will play #2 Johnson & Wales University - which edged #6 Norwich, 4-3, in another tournament contest today - at 2:00 PM on Saturday. The second day of the tourney concludes with a contest featuring the winners of the Simmons/Suffolk and USJ/Norwich games in a 4:00 PM elimination tilt.
4/25/14 – #5 Suffolk Tops #4 University of Saint Joseph in GNAC Tourney, 2-0
COURTESY OF JWU SPORTS INFORMATION
PROVIDENCE, RI - Senior pitcher Taylor Cwalinski (Jackson, N.J.) homered in the bottom of the first and pitched four inning of shut-out ball to lead the Johnson & Wales softball team to the winner's bracket final with a 4-3 win over Norwich in Great Northeast Athletic Conference playoff action at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex on Friday afternoon. The win marked the 100th victory for JWU head coach Virginia Cardozo at the University.
Cwalinski retired the side in the top of the first and launched a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to give the Wildcats a 1-0 edge after one inning. JWU pushed their lead to 3-0 when freshman Emily Gorecki (Bremerton, Wash) drove in Cwalinski and classmate Tayla Gardner (Orangeburg, N.Y.).
Gardner entered the pitchers circle in the top of the fifth, keeping the Cadets off the board in the frame. Norwich was able to get on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth when senior Abby Belcher (Winthrop, Mass.) hit a solo homerun to cut the JWU lead to 4-1.
Sophomore Justina George (Wallingford, Conn.) started the Norwich rally in the top of the seventh, reaching on an error by the infield. She advanced to second when sophomore Taylor Morris (Haverhill, N.H.) grounded out to the pitcher. NU sophomore Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) reached on a walk and advanced to third when Kelly Travers (Whitman, Mass.) doubled to centerfield. Catcher Payton Warner (Harwich, Mass.) drove in two on a single into right center field, cutting the lead to 4-3. The Wildcats recorded the second out on a foul ball and Gardner shut the door on the comeback, striking out Belcher to end the game.
With the win, the Wildcats advance to the winner's bracket finals on Saturday, April 26th and will play host St. Joseph's of Maine at 2:00 pm. Gardner increases her GNAC-leading win total to 18 and the Wildcats improve to 28-9 on the year. With the loss Norwich drops to 18-17 for the season.
4/25/14 - Cadets upset Simmons 5-3 in GNAC Playoffs
COURTESY OF NORWICH SPORTS INFORMATION
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Norwich University softball team used a five-run second inning to upset No. 3 seed Simmons College 5-3 on Friday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Playoff action at Johnson & Wales' Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex.
Norwich (18-16) scored all five of its runs in a big second inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from sophomore Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) en route to its first victory against Simmons (24-9) this season.
Junior pitcher Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) continued her stellar season, going the distance on the mound giving up one earned run on seven hits and three walks while striking out six to earn her 13th victory.
Baita didn't do herself any favors early as she loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning. However, the veteran bore down to get the next three hitters, including two by way of strikeouts to get out of the early jam.
Senior first baseman Erin Clark (Newbury, Vt.) opened the Cadets' big inning by working a leadoff walk. After Briana Day struck out, sophomore rightfielder Justina George (Wallingford, Conn.) lofted a single down the left field line that put runners on first and second. Sophomore designated hitter Taylor Morris (Haverhill, N.H.) then doubled to score both Clark and George and give Norwich a 2-0 lead. Hershberger kept it going with a two-run blast over the left centerfield fence to increase the lead to 4-0.
Junior outfielder Kelly Travers (Whitman, Mass.) reached on a bunt single and then Payton Warner (Harwich, Mass.) also singled for her first of two hits on the day. Junior second baseman Melissa Rome (Enfield, Conn.) brought home Travers with a RBI single to cap Norwich's streak of six consecutive hits off Cordeiro. Rome's hit chased Cordeiro and Simmons brought in its ace Lauren Backhaus for the remainder of the game.
Simmons cut into the Norwich lead in the bottom of the third when Mikaela Caracciolo launched a home run over the fence for her second hit as part of her three-hit day to lead the Sharks offensively. Hannah Cunningham also scored on the home run.
Simmons got another run back in the bottom of the sixth inning with Hannah Cunningham knocking a RBI single to score Backhaus and cut the lead to 5-3. However, that's as close as the Sharks would get as Baita shutdown Simmons the rest of the way.
Norwich advances to the GNAC Tournament Winner's Bracket Semifinal where it will meet Johnson & Wales at 4 p.m. on Friday. The winner of that game will advance to the winner's bracket championship to meet St. Joseph's Maine or Suffolk at 2 p.m. on Saturday at St. Joe's Maine. The loser drops down into the elimination bracket and will meet the Univ. of St. Joseph (Conn.) at noon.
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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.
