CLERMONT, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College split a pair of non-conference games at Hancock Park on Friday, cruising past Washington College (Md.), 10-1, in five innings before falling to Ohio Wesleyan University, 7-5, later in the afternoon.
The Monks erupted for eight runs in the second inning of the opener and got a two-hit complete game from senior Miranda Northrup (Whitefield, Maine), but Ohio Wesleyan answered a three-run Saint Joseph's fifth with a four-run bottom half in game two, sending Saint Joseph's back to Maine with a split and a 4-6 overall record.
GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 10, Washington College (Md.) 1 (5 inn.)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After a scoreless first inning, Saint Joseph's broke the game open with an eight-run second. Junior Kryslin Stearns (Concord, N.H.) and sophomore Makayla Quintal (Gorham, Maine) opened the frame with walks before freshman Brianna Eastman (West Baldwin, Maine) singled to load the bases. Senior Anna Gilbert (Gray, Maine) followed with an RBI single, senior Abbie Green-Sermak (Rehoboth, Mass.) worked a bases-loaded walk, and freshman Kiera Gabric (Hampden, Maine) lined an RBI single up the middle. Freshman Jaylah Trottier (Biddeford, Maine) then drew another walk to force in a run, senior Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) added an RBI single, senior Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) delivered a two-run single, and Stearns capped the outburst with an RBI knock for an 8-0 lead.
The Monks tacked on two more runs in the fourth. Stearns and Quintal opened the inning with back-to-back singles, stole third and second, respectively, and Eastman lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Stearns. After Quintal moved to third on a passed ball, Gilbert added a sacrifice fly to make it 10-0.
Washington scratched out its lone run in the top of the fifth when Julia Weglarz scored on an infield error, but Northrup stranded a pair and closed out the run-rule victory.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Saint Joseph's:
- Northrup (W, 1-0) – 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Washington College (Md.):
- Emma Kitchin (L, 0-1) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB
- Katie Tribbitt – 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
IN THE BOX:
Saint Joseph's:
- Stearns – 2-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB
- Tirrell – 2-for-3, R, RBI, SB
- Gilbert – 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI
- Bouchard – 1-for-3, 2 RBI
- Gabric – 1-for-3, R, RBI
- Eastman – 1-for-3, R, RBI
- Quintal – 1-for-2, 2 R, BB, SB
- Green-Sermak – 1-for-2, R, BB, 2B
Washington College (Md.):
- Emma Trainer – 1-for-2
- Jenna Harper – 1-for-1
- Mia Filliben – RBI
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's, which defeated Washington College by a 9-4 score on Monday, is now 3-1 all-time versus the Shorewomen.
GAME TWO – Ohio Wesleyan 7, Saint Joseph's 5
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph's grabbed the early lead in the top of the first, when Trottier worked a walk and Bouchard followed with a two-run homer to put the Monks in front, 2-0.
Ohio Wesleyan answered with two runs in the second to even the score and moved ahead, 3-2, on Viera Barrett's solo home run in the fourth. Saint Joseph's responded in the fifth with three runs to reclaim the lead. Sophomore Rebecca Osgood (Corinth, Vt.) singled, Tirrell lined an RBI single to left, and Bouchard kept the rally going with a base hit before freshman Olivia Thomas (Belgrade, Maine) ripped a two-run double to left for a 5-3 advantage.
The Battling Bishops answered immediately in the bottom of the inning with four runs on four hits. Ryla Zehring started the surge with a two-run double to tie the game, Liv Yeary followed with an RBI single, and another run came home on a Saint Joseph's error to put Ohio Wesleyan back on top, 7-5. The Monks were retired in order in both the sixth and seventh innings as the Battling Bishops held on for the win.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Saint Joseph's:
- Sophomore Sierra Laukka (Hope, Maine) (L, 0-1) – 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
- Thomas – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R
Ohio Wesleyan:
- Ryla Zehring – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
- Jessie Spurling (W, 1-0) – started, no outs recorded
IN THE BOX:
Saint Joseph's:
- Bouchard – 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (2)
- Tirrell – 1-for-4, R, RBI
- Thomas – 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B
- Osgood – 1-for-2, R, BB
- Trottier – 2 R, 3 BB, SB
Ohio Wesleyan:
- Myers – 2-for-4, R, SB
- Gist – 2-for-4, R, 2B
- Zehring – 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 2B
- Barrett – 2-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, HR
- Yeary – 1-for-3, 2 RBI
- Journey – 1-for-1, RBI, hit by pitch twice
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
The Monks and Battling Bishops are now even at 3-3 in the all-time series. Ohio Wesleyan also won the previous meeting, 5-2, at a neutral site on March 9, 2015.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's returns to action on Sunday, March 22nd, when the Monks open GNAC play with a doubleheader at Saint Joseph (Conn.) beginning at 12:00 PM.