Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (31-4, 20-2 GNAC) overcame a sluggish start to defeat #5 Suffolk University (21-22, 11-11 GNAC), 10-4, in a GNAC Softball Tournament contest at Richard W. Bailey Field on Friday afternoon.

Trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the first, the Monks quickly tied the game with two runs of their own in their first turn and claimed the lead for good, as it played out, with a pair of scores in the second frame. Saint Joseph's, which registered 16 hits in the victory, proceeded to put the game out of reach with six runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings combined.

The Rams scored two runs on four hits and stranded two on base in the top of the first. Senior catcher Erin McAndrews (Marblehead, Mass.) led off the contest with a sharp single through the left side and junior designated player Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) followed with a perfect sac bunt attempt that resulted in a hit. Both runners reached scoring position when the following batter, junior shortstop Nicole Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) grounded out. SJC starter Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, Mass.) induced a shallow fly to left to retire Anna Grace Maggs (Schenectady, N.Y.), but would not escape unscathed as Suffolk received back to back RBI singles from Meredith Ball (Nahant, Mass.) and Lindsay Pagano (Wyckoff, N.J.) to secure a 2-0 lead.

Suffolk starter Kim Crucioli (North Andover, Mass.) got off to a great start, sitting junior Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) with a shallow fly to center and fanning senior Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) to open the bottom of the first, but the situation unraveled quickly, starting with a two-out double off the bat of senior Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.). Freshman shortstop Danica Gleason (South Portland, Maine) strode to the plate and drove Moore home with a single to center and scored the tying run when senior left fielder Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) roped a base hit to right.

Crucioli's outing was a short one, as the freshman hurler was removed in favor of Chasse after giving up a lead-off single to junior right fielder Victoria Ramos (North Scituate, R.I.) in the bottom of the second. The junior would not fare much better, as the Monks managed to score twice off three hits and a Suffolk miscue to gain a 4-2 cushion. Ramos raced to second on a sac bunt attempt by center fielder Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine), who reached on an error by Chasse. Both outfielders moved up 60 feet on a passed ball and later scored on consecutive singles off the bats of Grovo and Gleason.

The Rams made it a one-run game with a run off three hits in the top of the third, when Rosa singled and later scored on a Pagano single to left field. Saint Joseph's countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, when sophomore first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) plated a pair with a single to right and freshman catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) drove in a run with a groundout to second to lift the hosts to a 7-3 lead.

Suffolk managed to chase Copan from the contest after the senior allowed a pair of singles with one out in the top of the fifth. Freshman Danielle Egan (Waterboro, Maine) took the senior's place in the circle and one runner – Maggs – scored on an infield error on her watch, but the first-year hurler finagled her way out of the situation, inducing an inning-ending popup with runners on first and third.

Saint Joseph's closed out the game scoring with a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Hendrix led off the inning with a triple to the right field fence and promptly scored when the next hitter, Mayhew, grounded out to second base. Murphy followed with a single through the left side and scored two batters later when Jordan singled to center, accounting for the 10-4 final.
Six different hitters recorded multiple hits for the Monks, a group led by Gleason, who went 3-4 with two runs and a pair of RBI in the six-run victory. Mayhew was 2-4 with three RBI while Jordan, Moore, Hendrix and Ramos all tallied two hits apiece on the afternoon.

Copan collected the win after allowing four runs (three earned) off 10 hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings while Egan was outstanding in relief, scattering two hits over 2.2 innings.
For the Rams, Pagano went 2-3 with a pair of RBI while Chasse, Rosa and Ball all posted a pair of hits in a losing effort. Crucioli took the loss despite throwing just one inning after yielding three runs (one earned) of five hits with a punch-out in the frame. Chasse allowed seven runs (six earned) off 11 hits and a pair of walks with five K's in five innings of relief.

The GNAC Tournament continues Saturday with four games, starting with a pair of elimination contests. The first losers' bracket tilt, featuring #3 Simmons College and #5 Suffolk, begins at 10:00 AM while fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (CT) faces #6 Norwich University in another elimination game at 12:00 PM.

The Monks advance to the winners' bracket with this afternoon's victory and will play #2 Johnson & Wales University - which edged #6 Norwich, 4-3, in another tournament contest today - at 2:00 PM on Saturday. The second day of the tourney concludes with a contest featuring the winners of the Simmons/Suffolk and USJ/Norwich games in a 4:00 PM elimination tilt.

Courtesy of St. Joseph's Maine Sports Information