STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (6-6, 2-0 GNAC) kicked off Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a pair of wins over Norwich University (3-9, 2-6 GNAC) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Sunday afternoon. The Monks opened with an 11-3 win and completed the sweep with a 7-3 triumph in the nightcap.
GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 11, Norwich 3 (6 inn.)
Saint Joseph's broke a scoreless stalemate with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third, when freshman right fielder Taylor Owen (Wakefield, Mass.) doubled home a pair and immediately scored when the following batter, sophomore shortstop Olivia Howe (Saco, Maine) singled to right-center.
The Cadets cut their deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs on two hits in the top of the fourth, but the Monks put the game out of reach in the bottom of the frame, when junior second baseman Hayley Tighe (Worcester, Mass.) plated senior left fielder Madeline Wood (Madison, Maine) with a single and later trotted home when Owen belted a grand slam home run over the left field fence, making it an 8-2 game.
Norwich tacked on a run in the top of the fifth as freshman shortstop Liliana Rolfe (Plainville, Mass.) reached on an error and later scored on a Laura Deaton (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) triple.
St. Joe's proceeded to clinch the mercy-rule win after Tighe roped a two-run single in the fifth and junior catcher Bailey Rassol (Rehoboth, Mass.) sent Owens across the plate with a single in the sixth.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- Sophomore starter Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) earned the win after allowing three runs (two earned) off four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over six frames
- Norwich starter Allison Northup took the loss and falls to 2-2 on the season after giving up 11 runs off 16 hits and one walk over 5.1 innings
OFF THE BAT:
- Owen enjoyed a breakout game by going 4-4 with three runs, two doubles, a home run, and four RBI
- Tighe was 3-3 with two runs and three RBI
- Wood went 2-2 with two runs scored and a double
- Howe added two hits and an RBI in three at-bats
- Senior center fielder Meranda Martin (Richmond, Maine) was 2-4 with two runs scored
- For Norwich, Deaton was 1-2 with an RBI triple and a run scored
GAME TWO – Saint Joseph's 7, Norwich 3
The Monks struck first with two runs off a Makayla Cooper (Fryeburg, Maine) single in the bottom of the first but the Cadets utilized a small-ball approach to claim a 3-2 edge over the next two frames, as Biello knocked in a run on a sac bunt in the second and Beebe and Rasmussen both scored on sac flies in the top of the third to five the visitors a 3-2 lead.
St. Joe's tied the game in the bottom of the third when Owen scored on a Megan Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) sacrifice fly and grabbed the lead when two runs scored on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt. The Monks capped the game scoring in the bottom of the sixth when Martin launched a line-drive two-run homer over the right field wall to account for the 7-3 final.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- Sophomore Sydney Hatch (Newburgh, Maine) improves to 3-3 on the year after yielding three runs on eight hits with a pair of punchouts in seven innings
- Norwich freshman starter Annika Beebe (Marianna, Fla.) suffers the loss after giving up seven runs (four earned) off eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts in six innings
OFF THE BAT:
- Cooper was 3-3 with a pair of RBI
- Martin went 2-4 with two runs, a home run, and two RBI
- For the Cadets, Rolfe, Dara Kelly (Chesterfield, N.J.), and Maggie Rasmussen (Kingston, N.H.) posted two hits apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the pair of wins Saint Joseph's improves to 25-6 all-time versus Norwich University and has now defeated the Cadets in six consecutive meetings.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's resumes play next Saturday with a pair of GNAC games at Anna Maria College. The opener is slated to begin at 12:00 PM.
