PHOTO CREDIT: Laurel Clace '25

WORCESTER, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (13-14, 9-3 GNAC) posted a pair of convincing victories over Mitchell College (13-15, 9-3 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball action at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Tuesday evening. The Monks opened with an 8-2 triumph and capped the sweep with a 7-1 win.

The games versus the Mariners were originally scheduled to be played at Richard W. Bailey Field last Saturday, but soggy field conditions and persistent rain showers forced the twinbill to be postponed. The institutions ultimately agreed to make up the games at a neutral location and settled on WPI's Rooftop Fields Complex for the venue.

SAINT JOSEPH'S 8, MITCHELL 2:

Saint Joseph's set the tone early in the opener as junior Mollie Verreault (Scarborough, Maine) led off the bottom of the first with her first home run as a Monk. The Royal Blue proceeded to send three more runs home, as freshman Kryslin Stearns (Concord, N.H.) rapped an RBI single and Hannah Gosselin (Biddeford, Maine) and Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine) worked bases-loaded walks.

Sophomore catcher Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) doubled home a run in the second and Cloutier notched an RBI single as part of a two-run third inning to lift the Monks to a 7-0 lead.

Mitchell managed to knock in two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth and Stearns belted her first NCAA homer, a solo shot, in the bottom of the sixth to account for the 8-2 final.

IN THE CIRCLE:

SJC junior starter Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) yielded two runs on five hits with five strikeouts in a complete game victory while Mitchell starter Katelyn Lipsky took the loss after giving up seven runs (five earned) on six hits and five walks with two punch-outs in two innings. Mariners' reliever Hailey Hill worked four solid innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks.

AT THE BAT:

• Stearns was 2-3 with two runs, a home run, and two RBI
• Cloutier went 2-2 with a pair of RBI
• For Mitchell, center fielder Jenna Bennett was 2-3 with a pair of singles

SAINT JOSEPH'S 7, MITCHELL 1:

The GNAC foes were scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Bouchard led off with her eighth home run of the season. The Monks tacked on three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings as Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) and Stearns posted RBI singles in the former and Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) notched a two-run triple in the latter to lift their team to a 7-0 lead.

The Mariners produced a run in the seventh as Jenna Bennett plated Hannah Lemke with a single to close out the scoring ledger.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Senior starter Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) picked up the win after allowing a run on four hits and three walks in a complete game effort. Mitchell starter Emily Reynolds took the loss after yielding seven runs on 11 hits and three walks with three K's in six innings.

AT THE BAT:

• Tirrell was 2-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI
• Verreault went 2-4 with a run and an RBI
• Foley and Stearns both went 2-3 with an RBI
• For Mitchell, Lemke was 1-3 with a run scored and a double

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will host University of New England in a non-conference doubleheader tomorrow at 5:00 PM.

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