Softball Blanks Anna Maria During Doubleheader Sweep Thursday

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) softball team increased its winning streak to ten games, shutting out visiting Anna Maria College (AMC) during a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at the USJ Softball Field in West Hartford, Conn. The games counted as non-conference contests, despite both teams being in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). USJ took the victory in game one, 5-0, after five innings after junior pitcher Paige Fekete (Watertown, Conn.) threw a one-hit complete game shutout, before the Blue Jays complete the sweep with a 5-0 win in the finale. The ten-game winning streak is the longest for the Blue Jays since the 2018 campaign, when the team won 11 consecutive games. With the results, the Blue Jays improve to 17-10 on the year, while the AMCATS dropped to 8-12 overall.

GAME ONE: USJ 8, AMC 0 (5 INNINGS)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USJ wasted little time opening up the scoring as sophomore infielder Jennifer Antonowicz (Wolcott, Conn.) slashed a single to center, plating senior Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.) and establishing a quick 1-0 lead after the opening frame.
• The Blue Jays carried the momentum into the second, as Zup began a two-out rally after launching a two-RBI double down the left field line, scoring juniors Avianna Ibrahim (Colchester, Conn.) and Emma Carpenter (Brooklyn, Conn.) to extend the advantage to 3-0.
• Two batters later, junior outfielder Kaitlyn Ouellette (Wolcott, Conn.) recorded an RBI infield single, before senior Alyssa Roberts (Naugatuck, Conn.) notched an RBI single to right, extending the lead to 5-0 after two innings.
• Zup continued her strong day at the plate in the bottom of the third, slashing a two-RBI single to increase USJ's lead to 7-0. Carpenter followed suit in the bottom of the fifth, notching an RBI single to extend the gap to 8-0 and set up a possible run-rule scenario entering the fifth inning.
• Fekete continued to dominate inside the circle, setting the AMCATS down in order in the top of the fifth, securing the victory for USJ, 8-0, after five innings.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Zup paced the team with four RBI in game one.
• Zup, Antonowicz, Ouellette, Roberts and Carpenter all went 2-for-3 at the plate.
• Antonowicz stole a team-best two bases in the opener.
• Fekete took home the complete-game victory (4-3), allowing only one hit while tossing five strikeouts.

GAME TWO: USJ 5, AMC 0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Game two of the doubleheader began as a pitchers duel, as Roberts held off the AMC offense to keep the game scoreless through three innings.
• Roberts would put an end to the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth, recording an RBI single to center field to establish a 1-0 USJ lead after four innings.
• Ouellette increased the Blue Jay's advantage in the bottom of the sixth, notching an RBI single to increase the lead to 2-0.
• Freshman catcher Sadie Girgasky (Bethlehem, Conn.) then recorded her first-career RBI, hitting a sacrifice fly to straight center, scoring Ouellette and establishing a 3-0 lead.
• Junior Allison Conger (Plainfield, Conn.) rounded out the run parade for USJ, slashign a two-RBI single to increase the lead to 5-0 heading into the seventh inning.
• Roberts wasted little time putting an end to the game, recording three quick outs to secure the shutout victory, 5-0.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ouellette and Antonowicz paced the team with 2-for-3 outings in game two.
• Conger recorded a team-high two RBI.
• Freshman Jaylynn Poll (Waterbury, Conn.) stole a team-high two bases in the finale.
• Roberts earned the complete-game shutout victory (7-3), surrendering four hits while tossing four strikeouts.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays return to GNAC play on Saturday, April 19, heading to Nashua, N.H., for an inter-divisional doubleheader against Rivier University. First pitch against the Raiders at Raider Diamond is set for noon.

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