STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (17-19, 10-6 GNAC) split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader with Rivier University (14-20, 10-6 GNAC) on Thursday afternoon at Richard W. Bailey Field, taking the opener 11-5 before falling just short in a 11-10 setback in game two. The Monks totaled 26 hits on the day and nearly completed a furious late rally in the nightcap after Rivier built an eight-run lead.
GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 11, Rivier 5
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Rivier scored in each of the first three innings and carried a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the third, but the Monks answered in a big way. After senior Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) singled and freshman Jayden Sullivan (Hancock, Maine) doubled home a run, freshman Bella Napolitano-Aberle (Portland, Maine) added an RBI single before sophomore Addison French (Rochester, N.H.) launched a three-run homer to put Saint Joseph's in front, 7-5.
The Monks added to the lead in the fourth when senior Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) singled home freshman Jaylah Trottier (Biddeford, Maine), then pulled away with three more runs in the sixth. Bouchard reached on an error to plate one, and Sullivan followed with a two-run double as Saint Joseph's closed out the six-run victory.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Saint Joseph's:
- Senior Miranda Northrup (Whitefield, Maine) (W, 11-7) – 7.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Rivier:
- Hailey Berube (L, 9-11) – 3.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB
- Hayley Rapaglia – 3.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB
IN THE BOX:
Saint Joseph's:
- Jaylah Trottier – 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B
- Sadie Tirrell – 1-for-3, 2 R
- Chantelle Bouchard – 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI
- Jayden Sullivan – 3-for-4, R, 4 RBI, 2 2B
- Kryslin Stearns (Jr., Concord, N.H.) – 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
- Bella Napolitano-Aberle – 1-for-4, RBI
- Addison French – 2-for-3, R, 3 RBI, HR (1st of NCAA career)
Rivier:
- Olivia Couto – 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB
- Emma Politz – 2-for-4, R, RBI, 2B
- Hayley Rapaglia – 1-for-4, R, 2B
- Liv Harnish – 1-for-4, 2 RBI
- Avry Nelson – RBI, BB
GAME TWO – Rivier 11, Saint Joseph's 10
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Rivier came out swinging and built a 6-1 lead through four innings before the Monks began to chip away. Senior Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) doubled home senior Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) to put the Monks on the board in the third, and sophomore Makayla Quintal (Gorham, Maine) drilled a two-run double in the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-3.
The Raiders responded with five runs in the sixth to take an 11-3 advantage, but Saint Joseph's refused to go away. In the bottom of the sixth, Bouchard and Tirrell scored on a two-run single by freshman Jayden Sullivan (Hancock, Maine) to make it 11-5.
The Monks then mounted a dramatic push in the seventh. Quintal walked, senior Abbie Green-Sermak (Rehoboth, Mass.) drew a walk, and back-to-back Rivier errors brought in two runs. Tirrell then reached on another error that plated two more, and Bouchard followed with an RBI single to trim the margin to 11-10. Saint Joseph's brought the tying run aboard and had the winning run at the plate before Rivier finally recorded the final out to escape with the split.
IN THE CIRCLE:
Saint Joseph's:
- Sophomore Sierra Laukka (Hope, Maine) (L, 4-6) – 4.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 K
- Freshman Olivia Thomas (Belgrade, Maine) – 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Rivier:
- Hailey Berube (W, 10-11) – 4.2 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- Hayleigh Silva – 2.1 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
IN THE BOX:
Saint Joseph's:
- Kiera Gabric (Fr., Hampden, Maine) – 2-for-4, R
- Jaylah Trottier – 1-for-4, R
- Sadie Tirrell – 1-for-5, 3 R
- Chantelle Bouchard – 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2B
- Jayden Sullivan – 1-for-5, 2 RBI
- Kryslin Stearns (Jr., Concord, N.H.) – 2-for-5, R
- Makayla Quintal – 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2B
- Breann MacMillan (So., Medway, Mass.) – 2-for-3
Rivier:
- Emma Politz – 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2B
- Kylee Caetano – 3-for-5, 3 R, RBI
- Olivia Couto – 3-for-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 3B, 2B
- Liv Harnish – 3-for-4, 4 RBI, 2B
- Avry Nelson – 2-for-5, RBI, 2B
- Sophia Quinlan – 1-for-4, R, 2B
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the split, Saint Joseph's moved to 31-9 all-time against Rivier.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's returns to action on Saturday, April 25th, when the Monks host Albertus Magnus College for a GNAC doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM in Standish. The Monks will celebrate their five-player senior class with a brief ceremony prior to first pitch.
