WORCESTER, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (5-12, 3-1 GNAC) swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division softball doubleheader at Anna Maria College (9-15, 1-5 GNAC) on Saturday afternoon. The Monks won the opener, 9-5, and rallied from a 3-2 deficit to complete the sweep with a 9-5 triumph in eight innings.

SAINT JOSEPH'S 9, ANNA MARIA 4

The Monks picked up the opening victory with nine runs on 12 hits while senior starting pitcher Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) allowed four runs on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts over seven innings.

Sophomore catcher Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) led the SJC offense by going 2-4 with two runs, a home run, and three RBI while Goodnough was 3-4 with a stolen base. Freshman Kryslin Stearns (Concord, N.H.) and sophomore Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine) added two hits apiece.

Anna Maria starter Eden Forget took the loss and falls to 4-2 on the season after giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits with three K's in four innings. Relievers Lauryn Meade and Mackenzie Evers combined to toss three innings while yielding five runs (three earned) on five hits with a pair of K's.

Offensively for the AMCATS, Sabrina Liston was 2-3, Shay Savoie went 1-3 with two runs and a pair of stolen bases, and Kaitlyn Hicks was 1-3 with a run and two RBI.

SAINT JOSEPH'S 9, ANNA MARIA 5 (8 inn.)

The AMCATS held a 3-1 lead after Hicks registered a two-run double and scored on a Gabrielle Vasquez two-bagger in the bottom of the third. The Monks made it a 3-2 game when Cloutier recorded an RBI base hit in the top of the sixth.

Trailing by one run with two out in the top of the seventh, junior third baseman Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) plated the tying run with a double over the center fielder's head to eventually force extra innings.  The SJC offense exploded for six runs on five hits – including a two-run double by Goodnough and a two-run homer off the bat of Bouchard – to secure a 9-3 cushion.

Anna Maria managed to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth but failed to close the gap further.

Goodnough picked up her second win of the day after working two innings of one-hit, two-run (one earned) relief after junior starter Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) allowed three runs on five hits and five walks over six frames.

Goodnough also paced the Monks offensively by going 4-4 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBI while junior Morgan Roast (Gorham, Maine) went 2-4 with two runs, Bouchard belted a two-run homer, and Cloutier and Abby Carpenter (Bath, Maine) posted two hits apiece.

For Anna Maria, Liston took the loss after giving up nine runs (six earned) on 12 hits and two walks over eight innings. Catcher Kiara Edmonds went 2-3 and Hicks was 1-4 with a run, a double, and two RBI.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 22-1 all time versus Anna Maria College and has now defeated the AMCATS in 22-consecutive meetings.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will host Thomas College in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 4:00 PM on Tuesday.

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