KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (0-2) kicked off the 2018 season with a pair of losses in the Sunkissed Games on Sunday afternoon. The Monks opened with a 7-3 loss at the hands of Bridgewater (Va.) and suffered a mercy-rule 15-2 setback at the hands of Muskingum later in the day.

GAME ONE: Bridgewater (Va.) 7, Saint Joseph's 3

Saint Joseph's fell victim to shaky infield defense in the bottom of the first inning, as the Monks committed three errors, which led to four unearned runs in a six-run opening frame for the Eagles.

Trailing 7-1 in the top of the fifth, sophomore third baseman Kaylee Burns (Saco, Maine) delivered a two-out, two run double, to cut her team's deficit to 7-3. The Monks threatened with consecutive singles leading off the top of the seventh, but the rally proved to be a non-starter, as junior shortstop Meghan Elliott (Mendon, Mass.) lined out into a game-ending double play.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Sophomore Kate Whitney (Jonesboro, Maine) started in the circle and allowed six runs (two earned) off three hits and three walks with one strikeout in 2/3 inning. Sophomore Caitlin King (Old Town, Maine) pitched impressively in relief, yielding one run off five hits with a pair of punch-outs over 5.1 frames.

OFF THE BAT:

• Burns was 2-3 with a run, a double, and a pair of RBI
• Sophomore second baseman Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine) went 2-4
• Freshman catcher Makayla Cooper (Fryeburg, Maine) went 1-3 with an RBI in her first collegiate contest

GAME TWO: Muskingum 15, Saint Joseph's 2

The Monks grabbed the lead in the top of the first when Elliott plated Pomerleau – who reached via hit-by-pitch –with a single, but the edge did not last long, as Muskingum plated eight runs off eight hits in the top of the third. The Muskies tacked on two runs in the fourth and five in the fifth.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Junior Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) suffered the loss after allowing 10 runs off 16 hits in four innings. Freshman Madeline Wood (Madison, Maine) gave up five runs (two earned) off five hits in one inning of mop-up duty.

OFF THE BAT:

• Freshman catcher Megan Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) was 1-2 with an RBI in her first collegiate start
• Junior first baseman Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) was 1-1 with a run scored and a double

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's returns to action tomorrow with games versus WPI (1:30 PM) and Misericordia (3:45 PM).

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