BIDDEFORD, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (6-8) split a doubleheader with the University of New England (3-13) in non-conference softball action on Wednesday afternoon. The Monks clipped the Nor'easters, 2-1, in the opener and fell by a 9-4 score in the closing contest.

SAINT JOSEPH'S 2, UNE 1:

The Nor'easters kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first when Megan Chamberlain worked a bases-loaded walk. The 1-0 score remained until the top of the third, when senior first baseman Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine) tripled home Hannah Gosselin (Biddeford, Maine) and scored on an infield groundout off the bat of junior Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine).

The game motored through the three innings as neither team managed much of a scoring threat. But the bottom of the seventh frame, lengthened due to an SJC error, was bumpy for senior starter Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.), who found herself in a jam after walking a pair of batters to load the bases with two out. The senior southpaw managed to escape unscathed by striking out Lindsay Joyal to cease the threat and end the game.

IN THE CIRCLE:

Pence improved to 4-1 on the season after allowing one run off three hits and six walks while fanning five batters in the complete game effort. UNE starter Mia Micucci falls to 0-6 after giving up two runs on five hits and four walks with a trio of punchouts over seven innings.

AT THE BAT:

• Howe was 2-2 with a run, a triple, and an RBI and was the game's only repeat-hitter

UNE 9, SAINT JOSEPH'S 4:

UNE jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, when Abby Miner and Chamberlain knocked in runs on a single and groundout to short, respectively.

SJC answered in the top of the third by scoring three runs off four hits, as Gosselin plated Katie Bent (Andover, N.H.) with a sac bunt and Goodnough, who reached with a single, crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Howe, who reached via base on balls, later sprinted home on a Rylee Page (Somersworth, N.H.) single to lift the visitors to a 3-2 edge.

The hosts responded immediately by scoring two runs on three hits in the bottom of the third, as Jamie DuPont and Makenzy Herron delivered RBI base hits to put their team back on top, 4-3.

The Monks tied the game in the top of the sixth, when freshman Ahna Dostie (Lewiston, Maine) reached on a fielder's choice and crossed the plate on an Abbie Green-Sermak (Rehoboth, Mass.) single up the middle.

The stalemate was short lived however, as the Nor'easters blew the game open by scoring five runs on three hits and an SJC error. Chamberlain notched a two-run single and DuPont roped a two-run double to help put the game out of reach.

IN THE CIRCLE:

SJC senior starter Sydney Hatch (Newburgh, Maine) gave up four runs off seven hits and five walks with three K's in four innings while senior Emily Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) suffered the loss after yielding five runs (zero earned) on four hits and two walks over two frames of relief.

UNE starter Kara MacDonald went the distance and improved to 2-4 on the year after allowing four runs on eight hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

AT THE BAT:

• For the Monks, Goodnough was 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base and sophomore catcher Abby Carpenter (Bath, Maine) went 2-3
• For the Nor'easters, Kenzie Bessette was 3-4 with a run and a pair of stolen bases, DuPont went 2-2 with a double and three RBI, and Miner added two hits, a run, and an RBI in three at-bats

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will host Anna Maria College in what will be the Monks' 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and home-opening doubleheader on Friday. The first game is set to start at 2:00 PM.

$website.include("/bp")