ORONO, ME – University of Maine (12-26-1, 3-7-1 America East) blanked Saint Joseph's College (30-7, 23-3 GNAC), 5-0, in a non-conference softball contest on Wednesday afternoon. Junior Heather Tripp (Lovell, Maine) went 2-3 and was the only repeat-hitter for either team.
The Monks had opportunities to get on the board against their NCAA DI counterparts as the Royal Blue stranded six baserunners in the losing effort. St. Joe's left two on in the top of the first and was unable to capitalize with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth.
The Black Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead in their first turn at the bat, as EmJ Fogel (Vienna, Va.) reached on an error and later scored on a Jean Stevens (Albany, Ore.) single up the middle. Maine would break the game open with four runs off three hits in the fourth, as Lindsey Jenkins (Greenwich, Conn.) sent Stephanie Wood (Florench, N.J.) across the plate with a fielder's choice and Fogel emptied the bases with a single during the frame.
UMO starting pitcher Ashley Kelley (Hermon, Maine) earned the victory after allowing three hits with two K's in four innings of work. SJC sophomore Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, Mass.) was hit with the loss after yielding one unearned run off one hit while fanning one batter over three frames. Junior Kayla Vannah (Waldoboro, Maine) gave up four runs off three hits and a walk with one K in one inning while Maddie Kluna (Standish, Maine) and Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) tossed perfect fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
Senior center fielder Emily Leverone (Hampton, N.H.) was 1-3 with a single in the SJC loss.
Saint Joseph's resumes play on Friday when the team hosts a pair of GNAC Tournament contests at Richard W. Bailey Field. #6 Norwich University and #3 Simmons College will square off at 2:00 PM and the Monks, the #2 seed in the tourney, will play the Norwich/Simmons winner at 4:00 PM.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
