STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (19-16, 10-8 GNAC) snapped a five-game losing streak by sweeping University of Southern Maine (21-10-1, 6-4 LEC) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Thursday evening. The Monks defeated the Huskies by an 8-3 margin in the opener and completed the sweep with a 4-0 triumph in the nightcap.

THE LEAD

Three Saint Joseph's pitchers combined to limit Southern Maine – which entered today's action having won eight of the last 10 contests - to 13 hits in the two games combined. The Monks, who averaged two runs per game during the five-game skid, broke out with three runs in the first and fifth innings in the opener and put game two away with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

SENIOR MOMENT

Prior to the start of the twin bill, the softball program held a brief ceremony to honor the team's three seniors: Erica Boulanger (Somersworth, N.H.), Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine), and Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.). This group has helped the Monks post a 112-48 record, including a 64-22 mark in GNAC play, with two GNAC Championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances during their career and will be missed going forward.

GAME ONE – SJC 8, USM 3

SJC HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior third baseman Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine) was 2-3 with a run and a double
• Mayhew went 2-4 with a pair of RBI
• Junior center fielder Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine) was 2-2 with three runs
• Freshman shortstop Meghan Elliott (Blackstone, Mass.) added two hits and a run with a stolen base
• Freshman pitcher Jennelle Thompson (Farmington, N.H.) plated a pair with a single and scored a run

USM HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior Jen Lynch (Portland, Maine) went 2-4 with a run and a two-bagger
• Sophomore center fielder Amber Kelly (Berwick, Maine) was 2-3 with a run scored and a double
• Sophomore catcher Courtney Davis (Woburn, Mass.) doubled home a pair of runs

PITCHERS OF RECORD

• SJC freshman Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) improved to 8-5 on the season after allowing two runs (one earned) off four hits with a strikeout over four frames
• Thompson tossed three innings of relief and allowed a run off three hits en route to picking up her third save of the season
• USM freshman starter Sammi Goode (Bucksport, Maine) was hit with the loss after yielding three runs of a hit and four walks with a pair of wild pitches in the first inning
• Freshman hurler Crystal West (South Paris, Maine) entered in relief in the second and proceeded to allow five runs off 11 hits over five frames

GAME TWO – SJC 4, USM 0

SJC HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) went 2-3 with an RBI
• Harrison and freshman right fielder Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) both knocked in runs in the victory

USM HIGHLIGHTS

• Kelly was 2-3 with a double
• Freshman Brooke Cross (Saco, Maine) added a pair of hits in three trips to the plate

PITCHERS OF RECORD

• Boulanger tossed a gem to pick up her fourth win of the season, as the senior scattered six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in the complete-game effort
• Kelly started in the circle for the Huskies and falls to 11-3 on the year after allowing four runs off six hits, four walks, and four wild pitches in five innings of work
• USM sophomore Katelyn Tucker (Gray, Maine) fanned one in a scoreless inning of relief

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 30-19 in the history of the series with Southern Maine. The Monks and Huskies split a doubleheader in Gorham last spring.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's returns to action tomorrow with a pair of home GNAC games versus Johnson & Wales University. The opener's first pitch is slated for 3:00 PM.

Southern Maine completes the regular season with a Little East Conference (LEC) twin bill at home versus Keene State College. The first game starts at 1:00 PM.

#GOMONKS

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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 474-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.