Providence, R.I. – Maria Labbe (Lewiston, Maine) went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead St. Joseph’s to an 8-1 win over Endicott in the third game of the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament hosted by Rhode Island College. The Gulls managed just four hits, two of which came in their only scoring inning – a one-run third to cut the deficit to 4-1.  

St. Joseph’s advances to face the winner of the Lesley vs. Coast Guard game (4 p.m.) on Friday afternoon. The Gulls will take on the loser of the Lynx and Bears’ matchup in an elimination game tomorrow (May 13) at noon.

Junior pitcher Maddie Kluna (Standish, Maine) went the distance in the circle for the Monks, allowing one earned run and striking out five to improve to 14-3 on the season.

Freshman Jesse Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) accounted for the Blue and Green’s only RBI when she singled to score Krista Fales (Melrose, Mass.) in the bottom of the third. 

St. Joseph’s took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as senior first baseman Alyssa Dunn (Standish, Maine) doubled off the wall in left field to start the frame.  Senior pitcher Jenna Bortolotti (Milton, Mass.) induced a fly ball out, but freshman shortstop Lindsay Moore (Barrington, N.H.) laced an RBI double that bounced off the left field foul line to stay fair. Bortolotti was able to secure a ground out and a strikeout to keep the Gulls within a run.

The Monks added three runs in the third as Dunn connected for a two-run homer (5) to left center field. Sophomore right fielder Danyelle Shufelt (Sutton, Vt.) led off with an infield single to shortstop. Freshman second baseman Connie Grovo (Limington, Maine) sacrificed Shufelt to second and senior center fielder Emily Leverone (Hampton, N.H.), who had made a nice running over-the-shoulder catch in the bottom of the previous inning, drew a walk. Shufelt and Leverone moved up to second and third on a wild pitch, with Shufelt scoring on freshman designated player Jill Howard’s (Rochester, N.H.) RBI ground out. Dunn followed with the bomb to clear the bases. Despite issuing a walk and another single, Bortolotti got out of the inning with a ground out.

Endicott finally plated a run in the third as Fales doubled to the right field corner and later scored on Bilafer’s RBI single down the left field line.

The momentum was short-lived as Dunn promptly singled to lead off the fifth for St. Joseph’s and Endicott turned to freshman pitcher Nell O’Connor (Harwich, Mass.) as Bortolotti came out. SJC sophomore Kirin Schrum (Littleton, N.H.) pinch ran for Dunn. After a ground out moved Schrum up a station and Moore singled off of O’Connor’s glove in the circle to put runners on the corners, junior catcher Maria Labbe (Lewiston, Maine) cleared the sacks with an opposite field two-run double to right field to give the Monks a 6-1 lead.

Labbe contributed an RBI single and junior left fielder Katelyn Call (Portland, Maine) brought in another with a fielder’s choice to close out the game’s offensive output.

Dunn went 4-for-4, finding herself a triple short of the cycle, to go along with three runs scored and two RBI. Moore was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Labbe went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Freshman shortstop Mattie Brett (Waterford, Conn.) had two of Endicott’s four hits on the day.

Bortolotti suffered the loss (17-5), allowing five runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work.

Release courtesy of Rhode Island College Sports Information.