STANDISH, Maine - #7 Albertus Magnus College (22-15) edged sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's College (22-18), 1-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament preliminary game at Richard W. Bailey Field on Tuesday afternoon.

THE LEAD

The Falcons produced the game's only run with two out in the top of the third, when junior left fielder Megan Kelly (Bronx, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and scored on a Rachel Cataudella (Shelton, Conn.) single. The Monks had opportunities to score, but stranded eight runners as Albertus Magnus sophomore pitcher Megan Ferraro (Branford, Conn.) kept the hosts off the board in a complete-game shutout performance.

With the result, Albertus Magnus advances to the double-elimination portion of the GNAC Tournament and will face #3 Johnson & Wales University at University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in a second-round game on Friday afternoon. For Saint Joseph's, the setback signals the end of the 2016 campaign.

SJC HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) was 2-3 with a pair of singles
• Senior left fielder Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.) went 1-3 with a stolen base and made several nice plays among her five put outs
• Junior center fielder Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine), junior third baseman Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine), and freshman right fielder Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) recorded a hit apiece in the loss

AMC HIGHLIGHTS

• Cataudella and junior designated player Shyleen Ortiz (New Britain, Conn.) rapped the only hits for the Falcons

PITCHERS OF RECORD

• SJC freshman starter Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) was hit with the loss and falls to 9-7 despite allowing just two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over seven frames
• Ferraro improves to 14-4 on the season after allowing six hits and two free passes with three K's

NOTEWORTHY

The shutout loss is the Monks third of the season at the hands of the Falcons, who swept St. Joe's with a pair of goose-egg efforts (3-0, 2-0) at Bailey Field on April 2nd…the last time Saint Joseph's suffered three shutout setbacks to one team in the same season occurred in 1991 versus University of New England (3-0, 1-0, 2-0)…today's loss brings an end to the collegiate careers of the Monks' three seniors: Mayhew, Pollini, and Erica Boulanger (Somersworth, N.H.), a trio that helped the Monks post a 115-50 record, including a 67-23 mark in conference play, with a pair of GNAC Championships over the last four seasons.

#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.