STANDISH, ME - The Saint Joseph's softball team improved to 2-2 in conference play, and 8-6 overall, after defeating Simmons College (3-12, 1-3 GNAC) 3-1 and 7-2 on Friday afternoon at Ward Park. Pitcher Kiera Walsh '11 (Benton, ME), now 5-1 this season, earned the win in game one and Madylan Kluna '12 (Standish, ME) allowed just two hits and fanned eight batters to collect her first collegiate victory in the nightcap. Pacing the offense was first baseman Alyssa Dunn '11 (Standish, ME), who went 4-5 with two runs and two RBI's in the doubleheader.

GAME ONE

In game one, St. Joe's scored all the runs Walsh would require to down the Sharks in the bottom of the first inning. SJC leadoff hitter Anna Willis '10 (Gorham, ME) singled and moved to second by way of a Liz Jordan '09 (Sandwich, MA) sacrifice bunt. The junior right fielder advanced to third when Emily Leverone '11 (Hampton, NH) grounded to third and, after Liddy van der Linden '10 (Worcester, MA) walked, scored the first run of the game on a passed ball. Dunn followed with a double to plate van der Linden, giving the Royal Blue a 2-0 edge.

Simmons starter Sammi Letizio '10 (Windham, NH) worked her way out a jam in the bottom of the second. Ellen Neff '11 (Chester, VT), Alysn Ludwig '09 (Waldoboro, ME) and Jordan all singled in the frame, but the junior managed to induce a fly-out from Leverone to escape unscathed.

The Sharks matched the Lady Monks' effort by loading the bases in the next half inning off two hits and an error, but, with two out, Walsh forced Leah Derderian '10 (Boylston, MA) to ground out to SJC second sacker Jillian Kimball '10 (Albany Township, ME) to diffuse the threat.

Simmons plated their only run of the game in the top of the fifth to cut the SJC lead to 2-1. Sharks catcher Liz Dahlgren '12 (Chelmsford, MA) opened the inning with a single and was moved to second by a Kristen Souza '09 (New Bedford, MA) sac bunt before being lifted for a pinch runner, Amanda Gould '12 (Freemont, NH). Simmons shortstop Annie Thompson '11 (Pacific Palisades, CA) followed with a single, scoring Gould, but Walsh settled in to fan Stephanie Murray '11 (Groveland, MA) and induced a pop up to right off Sam Green's '09 (Bridgewater, MA) bat to close the inning and preserve the one-run lead.

The Lady Monks gained some much-needed breathing room with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Jordan singled and later stole second with two out. The senior scrambled to third on a Dunn base knock and scored on a ball hit to center field by Kimball to give her team a 3-1 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, the Sharks managed to get the tying run on base with a pair of singles from Kelly Garrity '12 (Reading, MA) and Emily Colligan '11 (Leominster, MA). But the rally bid fell short as Walsh, with two out, picked up a grounder off Green's bat and threw her out at first to clinch the Royal Blue triumph.

For St. Joe's, Jordan and Dunn both netted a pair of hits and Walsh scattered nine hits while whiffing four and walking none in seven innings of work.

For Simmons, Thompson was 3-4 and Dahlgren went 2-3 at the plate. Letizio allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out five in the losing effort.

GAME TWO

The second game looked to be as tight as the first in the early going. Through the first inning-and-a-half, only one baserunner reached, via base on balls, with neither outfit able to muster a hit.

The drought wouldn't last for the hosts, however, as the Lady Monks scored a pair of runs in the second and three more in the third frame to gain a 5-0 lead.

With the help of a pair of walks and a wild pitch, St. Joe's plated two runs off just one hit in the bottom of the second inning. Simmons starter Courtney Collier '11 (Bolton, MA) walked van der Linden and Dunn to open the frame and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. Kimball sent van der Linden across the plate with a single and Dunn, who went to third on the play, scored when the next batter, designated hitter Ashley Geel '12 (St. George, ME), hit a sac fly to center.

The Lady Monks rattled off five hits and scored three runs with one out in the bottom of the third to proved Kluna with plenty of support. With one down, Jordan singled and was promptly sent home by a Leverone triple. van der Linden recorded a base hit to send Leverone home and, after a walk by Dunn, Kimball singled to her home to cap the inning scoring with St. Joe's firmly in the lead, 5-0.

The Sharks scored both or their runs in the top of the fourth inning. Gould, who walked to open the frame, scored on a Derderian double to get the visitors on the board. Green singled and later scored on a wild pitch to make the score 5-2, Lady Monks.

St. Joe's tacked on insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings to seal the victory. Leverone singled and scored on a Dunn base hit in the fourth and Geel sent Dunn home with a single to account for the SJC scoring in the sixth frame.

Leverone went 3-4 to record her 10th multiple-hit effort in 14 games and third three-hit performance in the last five contests. Dunn was 2-2 with two runs, Geel 2-2 with two RBI's and Kimball 2-4 with a pair of runs batted in. With the win, Kluna improves to 1-4 on the season.

Green and Derderian recorded the only Sharks hits and Collier allowed 12 hits, four walks and six earned runs to go with four strikeouts in the nightcap contest.

Saint Joseph's will play Pine Manor College on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, MA in a GNAC doubleheader slated to begin at 12:00 PM.