STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (8-8, 4-0 GNAC) won both ends of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader versus Regis College (5-12, 2-2 GNAC) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Sunday afternoon. The Monks kicked off the twinbill with an 8-3 triumph and finished off the Pride with a 12-0 mercy-rule win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE:
Regis stuck first with an unearned run in the top of the second, but St. Joe's took control in the bottom of the inning by scoring five runs on six hits and a Pride error. Taylor Owen (Wakefield, Mass.) and Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine) notched RBI singles, Paige Connery (Tyngsboro, Mass.) doubled in a run and later scored on a Rebecca Fleming (Belmont, N.H.) sac fly, and Emily Jefferds (Scarborough, Maine) sent Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) home with a sac bunt to make it a 5-1 game through two frames.
The Pride countered with two runs off three hits in the top of the third before the Monks put the game away with three runs off four hits in the bottom of the fifth. Laurel Clace (Keene, N.H.) and Connery roped RBI singles and Fleming delivered a sacrifice fly to account for the 8-3 final.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- SJC junior starter Emily Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) improved to 3-2 on the season after allowing three runs (two earned) off six hits and two walks with five punch-outs over seven innings
- Regis starter Alyssa Ward falls to 1-5 after yielding eight runs (seven earned) on 13 hits in 4.1 innings; reliever Jillian Glynn tossed 1.2 innings of one-hit relief
OFF THE BAT:
- Senior Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine) was 3-for-4 with a run scored
- Senior catcher Bailey Rassol (Rehoboth, Mass.) went 3-for-4
- Connery was 2-for-3 with a run, a double, and two RBI
- Freshman Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) doubled and went 2-for-4 with a run
- For Regis, Andria Braga was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored
GAME TWO:
The Monks dominated the closing contest from start to finish, as the hosts plated an unearned run in the bottom of the first and put the game out of reach with six runs off six hits in the bottom of the second to claim a 7-0 cushion. St. Joe's opened the inning by loading the bases with singles from Goodnough, Alexis Downs (Auburn, Maine) and Abby Carpenter (Bath, Maine). Goodnough scored on a Hannah Gower (Scarborough, Maine) base hit, Downs crossed the plate on an Emery fielder's choice, and Carpenter raced home on a wild pitch. Rassol sent Emery home with a single to left and scored – along with Page – when Howe doubled to deep right-center.
Page posted a two-run double in the third and the Monks closed out the scoring ledger with three runs on three hits and four errors in the bottom of the fourth.
IN THE CIRCLE:
- SJC junior starter Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) improved to 3-3 on the season after tossing five shutout innings while allowing three hits and fanning four batters
- Regis starter Kate McGrath fell to 2-4 after giving up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and a walk in two innings; Colby Butterfield allowed five runs (four earned) off five hits in two innings of relief
OFF THE BAT:
- Downs was 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI
- Carpenter went 2-for-2 with two runs, a double, and an RBI
- Howe was 2-for-2 with a two-run double
- Emery went 1-for-3 with two runs, two stolen bases, and an RBI
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 4-0 in the history of the series with Regis College.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will play at Husson University on Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader set to start at 3:00 PM.
