Softball: Raiders drop a pairs of losses to Monks, 4-1 & 6-1.

Story written and posted by Hayden Barbosa, Rivier University Assistant Sports Information Director

(Nashua, N.H.) Saint Joseph's College (8-11, 6-0 GNAC) swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader with Rivier University (5-17, 1-7 GNAC) at Richard W. Bailey Field on Saturday afternoon. The Monks opened with a 4-1 triumph and topped the Raiders, 6-1, in the nightcap.

Saint Joseph's College Monks 4, Rivier University Raiders 1

Saint Joseph's kicked off the scoring with two runs off a hit and an error in the bottom of the second, as senior first baseman Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) walked and later crossed the plate on an infield miscue and junior third baseman Kaylee Burns(Saco, Maine) scored on a Madeline Wood (Madison, Maine) base knock.

Rivier cut the SJC lead in half in the top of the third, when freshman Sara Mainville (Lowell, Mass.) doubled and eventually scored on a Kasey Smith (Hopkinton, N.H.) sac fly to center field.

The Monks closed out the game scoring with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, as sophomore Megan Eagleston (Reading, Mass.) notched an RBI single in the former and Bailey roped a run-scoring double in the latter to account for the 4-1 final.

Rivier junior pitcher Taylor Rowsell (Chelmsford, Mass.) falls to 1-4 after yielding four runs (one earned) off four hits and three walks while fanning four in six innings. 

SJC junior pitcher Kate Whitney (Jonesboro, Maine) improves to 4-5 on the season after giving up a run on just three hits with a pair of K's in a complete game performance.

Saint Joseph's College Monks 6, Rivier University Raiders 1

The nightcap stood at a 1-1 stalemate going into the bottom of the fifth, when the Monks scored four runs off three hits and a Rivier error, as senior Meghan Elliott (Mendon, Mass.) and Bailey notched an RBI apiece on an infield miscue and a fielder's choice, respectively, and Maizie Lee (Saco, Maine) roped an RBI triple off the center field wall and promptly scored on a Eagleston sac fly to make it a 5-1 game.

Elliott completed the game scoring with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.

Junior pitcher Caitlyn King (Old Town, Maine) picks up the win after scattering five hits with one earned run over seven frames. She is now 4-5 on the season.

Rivier freshman hurler Sydney Greeno (Shirley, Mass.) falls to 1-4 after allowing six runs (five earned) off seven hits and five walks over six innings.

With today's losses the Raiders drop to a 5-17 overall record and 1-7 within the GNAC.  The two wins raises the Monks to an 8-11 overall record and they'll remain undefeated in the GNAC. 

The Raiders are slated to host GNAC foes, Simmons College tomorrow at the Presentation of Mary Academy (Hudson, N.H.).  The first pitch will be thrown at 2PM.  The Monks will take the trip out to Paxton, Massachusetts for another in-conference contest against the AMCats of Anna Maria College at noon.