PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Theodores '25

STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (9-12, 5-1 GNAC) posted a pair of mercy-rule victories over Norwich University (4-16, 2-6 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division softball action at Richard W. Bailey Field on Thursday afternoon. The Monks defeated the Cadets by an 11-3 margin in the opener and capped the sweep with a 9-1 triumph.

MILESTONE MET:

Senior Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) registered the 100th hit of her collegiate career when she belted a double to the right-center gap in the bottom of the first inning.

SAINT JOSEPH'S 11, NORWICH 3 (5 INN.)

Sophomore catcher Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run homer, her seventh long ball of the season, while juniors Paige Connery (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) produced RBI singles to lift the hosts to an early 4-0 advantage.

The Cadets made it a one-run game with three runs on three hits in the top of the third, when Brianna Vitale (Rock Tavern, N.Y.) roped an RBI single and Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) slapped a two-run single down the right field line.

Sophomore Hannah Gosselin (Biddeford, Maine) belted an RBI single in the bottom of the third and fourth innings and Pelletier broke the game open with a bases-loaded triple to center field in the latter to give her squad a 9-2 lead. The Monks achieved the mercy-rule win with two runs in the fifth, when Goodnough posted a sac fly and junior Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) sprinted home on a passed ball.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Pelletier earned the victory and improves to 3-7 after allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out a pair in five innings.

McGinn falls to 1-7 on the season after giving up nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and three walks over four innings. Junior Kennedy White (Randolph Center, Vt.) gave up two unearned runs in 0.2 innings of relief.

AT THE BAT:

• Pelletier also enjoyed a fine game at the bat by going 3-3 with a run, a triple, and four RBI
• Goodnough was 2-3 with two runs, a double, and an RBI
• Connery went 2-3 with two runs
• Gosselin added two hits and a pair of RBI in three at-bats
• Bouchard was 1-1 with the two run homer, three runs, a stolen base, and three walks
• Vitale was the Cadets' lone repeat hitter and was 2-3 with a run and an RBI while McGinn went 1-2 with a pair of RBI

SAINT JOSEPH'S 9, NORWICH 1 (5 INN.)

The nightcap was a close contest until the SJC bats exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to walk off with another mercy-rule triumph.

The Cadets struck first when freshman Madison DeCota (Strafford, N.H.) reached on an error and scored on a McGinn base hit to center field. The Monks secured a 2-1 edge in the bottom of the second, when Foley scored on a well-executed first-and-third double steal and junior Abby Carpenter (Bath, Maine) plated Gosselin with a two-out single to center.

Saint Joseph's proceeded to knock in seven runs off seven hits in the bottom of the fifth to secure the 9-1 victory. Goodnough notched an RBI triple, Kryslin Stearns (Concord, N.H.), Gosselin, and Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine) posted run-scoring singles, and Foley, Morgan Roast (Gorham, Maine), and Carpenter roped RBI doubles to end the game early.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Goodnough improves to 5-3 on the year after allowing one unearned run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts across five innings.

DeCota falls to 3-8 after allowing nine runs on 11 hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.

AT THE BAT:

• Carpenter was 2-3 with a run, a double, and two RBI
• Gosselin went 2-3 with two runs, a stolen base, and an RBI
• Roast was 2-3 with a run, a double, and an RBI

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 31-6 all-time versus Norwich University and has now defeated the Cadets in 12-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2018 campaign.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will play at New England College on Saturday. The first game of the doubleheader is set for a 12:00 PM start.

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