PHOTO CREDIT: Laurel Clace '25
STANDISH, Maine – University of Southern Maine (9-3) swept a non-conference softball doubleheader with Saint Joseph's College (2-10) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Monday afternoon. The Huskies won the opener by an 8-2 score and capped the sweep with a 14-0 triumph in five innings.
In the opener, the Monks faced a 4-2 deficit after freshman Kryslin Stearns (Concord, N.H.) and sophomore Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine) rapped RBI singles in the third and fourth innings, respectively, but the Huskies closed out the contest with four unanswered runs to secure the victory.
SJC starting pitcher Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) took the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) on 14 hits and three walks over five innings and junior Rylee Page (Somersworth, N.H.) gave up a run on two hits in two innings of effective relief.
USM starter Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) picked up the victory after allowing two runs on nine hits in a complete-game performance.
Junior Mollie Verreault (Scarborough, Maine) and sophomore Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) both went 2-4 for the Monks while Abby Miner (Saco, Maine) recorded four hits, Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) went 3-4, and Olivia Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) was 2-3 with a run, two doubles, and four RBI for the Huskies.
The closing contest was all USM, as sophomore starter Lexus McIntosh (Lancaster, N.H.) tossed a five-inning no-hitter, the first of her career and 14th no-no in Southern Maine softball program history. Only one SJC runner reached base, as junior Paige Connery (Tyngsboro, Mass.) made it to first on a McIntosh error in the bottom of the third inning.
The Huskies put up crooked numbers in the second inning (7 runs) and fourth frame (6 runs) to run away with the triumph.
For Southern Maine, grad Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine) was 2-4 with two runs and three RBI, Scott belted a two-run homer in the second inning, and Meaghan Dufresne (Mattapoisett, Mass.) went 2-2 with a run and an RBI.
Saint Joseph's returns to action on Wednesday with a 4:00 PM game at the University of Maine.
