Sunday, April 7, 2013 (Newton, Massachusetts)- The Mount Ida College softball team dropped both ends of the weekend doubleheader to the visiting Monks of St. Joseph's College (ME) by scores of 5-2 and 10-0. With the twin bill set back, the Mustangs drop to an overall record of (9-14, 3-9 GNAC) while the Monks improve to (19-5, 11-3 GNAC).
Game 1
The first two innings of Game 1 would go scoreless until the Monks would score four runs on five hits in the top half of the third inning. Shortstop Lindsay Moore (Barrington, NH) and first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, ME) both had RBI singles while junior Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, ME) came to plate and singled home Mayhew and Moore giving the Monks the 4-0 advantage.
In the fourth inning, St. Joe's would add two more runs to increase their lead to 5-0. Kim Jordan (Bangor, ME) led off the inning with a single and immediately moved into scoring position by stealing second. Senior outfielder Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, VT) singled home Jordan on the next pitch to add to the lead.
The Mustangs found the run column in the bottom half of the sixth inning when senior pitcher Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) tripled, scoring Megan Hall (Danielson, CT/Killingly) who had previously doubled. Meeker would later score on an RBI single by Cassie Durand (Dracut, MA/Dracut) cutting into the Monks lead, 5-2.
Neither the Mustangs nor the Monks would score again in the game, giving the Monks the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory, 5-2.
Meeker would surrender the loss for Mount Ida surrendering five runs on twelve hits, while striking out three over seven innings pitched. Kayla Vannah (Waldoboro, ME) went the distance for the visitors picking up the win over six innings pitched, allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out five and walking none.
Game 2
During Game 2 of the doubleheader, the Monks would pick up right where they left off in Game 1 by scoring early and often en route to a 10-0, mercy rule victory.
To begin the second inning, Hendrix singled to centerfield and later scored when junior pitcher Rae-Marie Copan (Newton, MA) reached on an infield error. Heather Tripp (Lovell, ME) recorded a two-run double and scored on a Hendrix RBI double to begin the top of the third inning while increasing the Monks lead to 5-0.
The fourth inning started when Moore plated Shufelt with a double and later scored on a Tripp single. St. Joe's would quickly take a commanding 10-0 lead when Mayhew scored on a wild pitch from Allie Norris (Plymouth, MA/Plymouth), Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, NH) crossed the plate on a Marissa Hernandez (Goshen, NY) base hit, and Alyssa Wade (Peru, ME) scored on a Connie Grovo (Limington, ME) groundout in the top of the fifth.
Mount Ida was led at the plate by Gina Onorevole (Lafayette, NJ/High Point Regional) going 2-2 while Norris took the loss, giving up ten runs, seven earned, off of ten hits, and two walks while striking out three over five innings.
The Mustangs will travel to Norwich University on Wednesday April 10th, with first pitch slated for 3:00 p.m. Saint Joseph's will be off until Friday when the Monks will entertain Simmons College set to begin at 3:30 p.m.