NEWTON, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College of Maine posted a pair of shutout victories over Lasell College Friday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball action at Taylor Field, winning 9-0 in six innings and 7-0.
With the victories, Saint Joe's improves to 7-13 overall and 3-5 in the GNAC, while Lasell drops to 4-16 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
The verdict in the opener also gave Monks' head coach Jamie Smyth his 500th career victory. Now in his 21st season, Smyth has a career record of 501-325.
Saint Joe's junior Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) threw a two-hitter in the opener, striking out five, and sophomores Kate Whitney (Jonesboro, Maine) and Caitlyn King (Old Town, Maine) combined on a seven-hitter in the nightcap with seven strikeouts.
Sophomore Maizie Lee (Saco, Maine) led the Monks with four hits, including a home run, and six RBI on the afternoon, while classmate Kaylee Burns (Saco, Maine) had two hits and five RBI. Juniors Meghan Elliott (Mendon, Mass.) and Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) and freshman Grace Chadbourne (Jaffrey, N.H.) each collected four hits apiece in the twin bill.
Lasell managed just nine hits on the day; sophomores Arianna Genovese (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Victoria Spellman (Rocky Hill, Conn.) each had two hits in the nightcap.
Game 1 – Saint Joseph's 9, Lasell 0
The Monks took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings. Sophomore Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine) scored on a double-steal in the first inning, and Bailey knocked in Pomerleau in the third with a double down the left field line.
The visitors blew the game open with four runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth. Burns delivered a two-run single to right in the fifth, and Lee followed by cranking a two-run homer to left center, her first of the season. Burns added another two-run single in the sixth, and Lee capped the scoring win an RBI single to center.
Smith allowed just two hits and a walk to improve her record to 3-6. Freshman Sarah Walton (Poland, Maine) singled for Lasell in the second inning but was erased on a double play, and freshman Shayna Fondini (Burlington, Mass.) singled with two outs in the sixth but Smith retired the next batter to end the game.
Game 2 – Saint Joseph's 7, Lasell 0
Saint Joe's scored all the runs it would need with three in the first inning. Burns plated a run with a sacrifice fly to left, Elliott came home on a double steal, and Lee drove in a run with a double to right. Elliott added a sac fly in the second to push the lead to 4-0.
The visitors added a run in the fifth inning on a bases-loaded ground out by Lee, and tacked on two more in the seventh on ground balls by Lee and freshman Makayla Cooper (Fryeburg, Maine).
Lasell had seven hits and three walks in the nightcap but left 11 runners on base. Whitney earned the win (4-5) for Saint Joe's, pitching five innings and allowing five hits and three walks, while King pitched the final two innings, giving up two hits and fanning four.
Due to a late scheduling change, Lasell will be back at Taylor Field on Saturday, hosting Simmons College in a conference make-up doubleheader, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Saint Joseph's travels to Anna Maria College on Saturday for a GNAC twin bill, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
-- 30 --