WINTHROP, Mass. – Johnson & Wales University has completed its conference schedule with a 21-1 record to earn the top seed in this week's GNAC Softball Tournament and, as a result, will host a pair of contests on Thursday, four games on Saturday and at least two games next Sunday.
Second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine will also serve as host for a pair of second-round games on Thursday. The Monks, 21-15 overall and 17-5 in GNAC play, earned the #2 seed after rattling off 10 consecutive conference victories, including triumphs over top-seeded Johnson & Wales and #4 Albertus Magnus College, down the stretch.
As the second seed, Saint Joseph's will host a second-round contest featuring #3 Suffolk University versus #7 Emmanuel/#6 Norwich at 3:00 PM and will face the winner of the second-round game at 5:30 PM.
The Monks, winners of four-consecutive GNAC Championships from 2011 through 2014, have hosted second-round games on four occasions with the most recent taking place in 2014, when the Royal Blue earned the top seed and hosted the entire tournament en route to winning the conference crown.
Tuesday's first-round, single-elimination round will feature fifth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) hosting eighth-seeded Simmons College (4:15 PM), while seventh-seeded Emmanuel College will travel to sixth-seeded Norwich University. For the complete schedule breakdown, please see below.
First Round - Tuesday, May 2 (single elimination)
Game 1: #8 Simmons at #5 St. Joseph (Conn.) - 5:00 PM
Game 2: #7 Emmanuel at #6 Norwich - 3:30 PM
Second Round - Thursday, May 4 (double- elimination begins)
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. #4 Albertus Magnus (at #1 JWU) - 3:00 PM
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. #3 Suffolk (at #2 Saint Joseph's Maine) - 3:00 PM
Game 5: Game 3 winner at #1 JWU - 5:30 PM
Game 6: Game 4 winner at #2 Saint Joseph's Maine - 5:30 PM
Semifinals - Saturday, May 6 (hosted by #1 JWU)
Game 7: Game 4 loser vs. Game 5 loser (elimination game) - 10:00 AM
Game 8: Game 3 loser vs. Game 6 loser (elimination game) - 12:30 PM
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 3:00 PM
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elimination game) - 5:30 PM
Championship - Sunday, May 7 (hosted by #1 JWU)
Game 11: Game 9 loser vs. Game 10 winner (elimination game) - 10:00 AM
Game 12: Game 11 winner vs. Game 9 winner - 12:30 PM
Game 13: if necessary - 3:00 PM
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
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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.
