WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Saint Joseph's College (4-8, 0-2 GNAC) opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a pair of setbacks at Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Sunday afternoon, falling 9-1 in five innings in the opener before dropping a 7-1 decision in a rain-shortened nightcap.

The Blue Jays scored nine runs in the second inning of game one and then took advantage of nine walks and eight wild pitches in game two to complete the sweep.

GAME ONE – Saint Joseph (Conn.) 9, Saint Joseph's 1 (5 inn.)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Saint Joseph's opened the scoring in the top of the first when freshman Jaylah Trottier (Biddeford, Maine) came home on a two-out RBI single by junior Kryslin Stearns (Concord, N.H.). The lead held until the bottom of the second, when the Blue Jays erupted for nine runs on five hits, aided by three wild pitches, to seize complete control of the opener. The Monks put runners on base in each of the final three innings but could not extend the game as Saint Joseph (Conn.) closed out the five-inning victory.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Saint Joseph's:

• Senior Miranda Northrup (Whitefield, Maine) (L, 3-3) – 1.1 IP, 4 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, K
• Freshman Lulu Dias (Danvers, Mass.) – 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, BB, K

Saint Joseph (Conn.):

• Paige Fekete (W, 3-4) – 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 K

IN THE BOX:

Saint Joseph's:

• Gabric – 1-for-3
• Trottier – 1-for-2, R, SB
• Stearns – 1-for-2, RBI

Saint Joseph (Conn.):

• Phelps – 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
• Antonowicz – 1-for-2, R, RBI, BB
• Brewer-Karimi – 1-for-2, R, 2B, HBP
• Girgasky – 1-for-3, R, RBI
• Browne – 1-for-3, R, SB

GAME TWO – Saint Joseph (Conn.) 7, Saint Joseph's 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Saint Joseph's grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an RBI double by senior Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine), but the Blue Jays answered in the bottom half to tie the game. Saint Joseph (Conn.) then took over in the fourth, scoring four times with the help of two hits, three walks, and two wild pitches to open a 5-1 advantage. The Blue Jays added two more runs in the fifth before the game was called due to rain.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Saint Joseph's:

• Sophomore Sierra Laukka (Hope, Maine) (L, 1-4) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, K
• Freshman Olivia Thomas (Belgrade, Maine) – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 3 BB

Saint Joseph (Conn.):

• Analise Escarraman (W, 2-2) – 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
• Brenna Lyver (S, 1) – 0.1 IP

IN THE BOX:

Saint Joseph's:

• Tirrell – 2-for-3, RBI, 2B
• Gabric – 1-for-2, R, BB
• Bouchard – 2 BB

Saint Joseph (Conn.):

• Brewer-Karimi – 1-for-2, R, 2 RBI
• Antonowicz – 1-for-2, 2 R, BB
• Ouellette – RBI, BB
• Ellis – 2 R, 2 BB
• Suriel – R, BB, SB

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph (Conn.) now holds a 16-11 edge in the all-time series with the Monks.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's returns to action on Wednesday, March 25th, when the Monks visit Salem State University for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 4:00 PM.