ST. JOE'S SOFTBALL
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2008 Season Review

2008 looks to be a very exciting year for the Saint Joseph’s College softball team. The season marks the team's entrance into the GNAC (Great Northeast Athletic Conference) and the Monks will look to improve on their 16-17 record of 2008. After leaving the Maine Athletic Conference in 2002 St. Joe’s was an independent from 2003-2007. The team is now looking forward to all the opportunities that the GNAC presents including a conference championship and automatic qualifier bid for the NCAA Division III tournament.

Saint Joseph’s has a young but talented staff of pitchers for the 2008 season. The only returning pitcher is sophomore Christy Wezowicz (Granville, MA). Christy appeared in 14 games last season and pitched 23 1/3 innings. She recorded her first college win on March 31 against Husson College pitching 3 innings of relief to secure the win. Her only start of the 2007 season came against Bowdoin College in which Christy pitched all 7 innings and struck out 8 in a tough 4-0 loss. Freshman Kiera Walsh (Benton, ME) will be the other primary starter for the Monks this season. She displayed great potential in the fall, going the distance against Division I University of Maine Orono allowing five runs in seven innings for her first real taste of college softball. Sophomore Jillian Kimball (Albany Township, ME) will see some time on the mound as well. Jill was a successful pitcher at the high school level and will be asked to contribute innings along with sophomore Liddy Van der Linden (Worcester, MA).

St. Joe’s welcomes in two freshman catchers who will split time this season. Ellen Neff (Chester, VT) comes to SJC with many high school accolades at Green Mountain Union high school. Ellen is a good hitter and has all the tools to do a fine job behind the plate working with the young pitching staff. Natasha Howard (Farmington, ME) is another fine catching prospect who will join the Lady Monks this season. Natasha has a good arm and showed in the fall that she has the ability to play and be successful at the collegiate level. The coaching staff looks forward to watching these two young ladies develop throughout their college careers at Saint Joseph’s.

Saint Joseph’s has the luxury of one of the deepest and most talented infields in recent years. At third base the Monks welcome back junior Kim Bechard (Lewiston, ME.). Kim has a career batting average of .272 and has knocked in 14 RBI’s in her two years at St. Joe’s. She possesses a fine arm and good hands at third base as well. Kim is backed up by freshman Cat DeSimone (Waterboro, ME). Cat has a quick first step, throws well, and will see time this season at third as she makes the transition from high school to college.

At first base the lady monks return the lone senior on this year’s team. Megan Farrell (Abington, MA) will anchor the right side of the infield this year. Meg led the team in hitting last season batting .373 with 18 RBI. She also recorded her first career homerun against Brandeis University. Megan has been a consistent run-producer over the years knocking in 43 runs in her three seasons in a Monks uniform. Freshman Alyssa Dunn (Standish, ME) will provide more depth for the team having the capabilities of playing either third or first. Alyssa is a fierce competitor and a great athlete. St. Joe’s hopes Alyssa brings her winning ways over from the field-hockey team where she started and was a major reason the Monks had such a successful season.

At second base the St. Joe’s brings back sophomore Jillian Kimball (Albany Township, ME). Jill had a solid freshman season batting .278 with 20 hits. She has good knowledge of the strike zone and provides some speed to the lineup. Jill is a smooth fielder with the ability to pitch as well. She will find herself in the middle of the Lady Monks lineup this year as the team is looking for another big season from Jill. Transfer student Liz Jordan (Sandwich, MA) is another talented infielder that is going to fill some important roles for the Monks. Her speed and quickness will make it difficult to keep her out of the lineup. Liz can cover some major territory at second base and will be used as a replacement when Kimball pitches. The speedy Jordan will see time as a pinch-runner in key situations as well.

Shortstop is secured by sophomore Liddy Van der Linden (Worcester, MA). Liddy had a fabulous first year for the royal blue batting .354 with 17 RBI. Liddy hits for a rare combination of power and average with 13 extra base hits last year and only 10 strikeouts in 99 official at-bats. Defensively, Liddy has great range and one of the strongest throwing arms of any shortstop to ever play at St. Joe’s.

This year boasts one of the strongest groups of outfielders in Coach Smyth’s 11 years at St. Joe’s. All three starters return from last year’s team, led by junior Alysn Ludwig (Waldoboro, ME). Alysn had a breakout year last season batting .339 with 14 stolen bases. She can hurt a team in many ways. As a slapper she can bunt or hit from the left side of the plate. She can also hit right-handed and has power recording a homerun right-handed as a freshman. Aly has 69 hits in two years to go along with 24 walks. In centerfield Alysn has great speed and instincts which allow her to get to most balls hit in the gaps. She will be a major weapon for the Monks this year. Also returning are sophomores Anna Willis (Gorham, ME) and Kayla Soucy (Colebrook, NH). Willis had 36 hits as a freshman and scored 21 runs. Anna is a left-handed threat at the plate and in the field. She has the strongest throwing arm of the outfielders and cat-like speed. Soucy displayed great promise last season hitting .368 in 21 games. Kayla has good power to all fields and is possibly the fastest of the three returning outfielders. If healthy, Kayla will be a huge part of the team's offense this season. Newcomer Renee Leach (Shapleigh, ME) will also be a contributor to the outfield cast. Renee hits the ball hard and runs well so look for her to make her mark in 2008. Rounding out the outfield is a group of young ladies including Amy Shackford (Madison, NH), Sarah Gordon (Hallowell, ME), Charley Cray (Norway, ME), and Jillian McInnis (Peabody, MA), all of whom will look to contribute any way they can.

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference should be a very competitive home for Saint Joseph’s College this year. Emerson College won the conference championship in 2007 and several other schools have strong softball programs including Suffolk University, Rivier College and St. Joseph’s of Conneticut. Hopefully, with a lot of hard work, the Saint Joseph’s College softball team will make an instant name for itself as the team embarks on this new journey in the program's history.

2007 Season Review

The Monks opened up with four straight losses to quality opponents, including Ohio Wesleyan, Keene State and Rutgers of Newark. Saint Joe’s registered its first win on the trip against Skidmore College by a score of 6-2. Sophomore pitcher Gabrielle Burrola led the way with 7 innings pitched and 7 strikeouts. She also contributed 2 hits in the Monks’ first win. After defeating Mount Ida 12-2 for the second win on the trip, the Monks dropped the next two games to fall to 2-6 on the season. On the ninth game of the trip, Saint Joe’s got a no-hitter from Burrola to beat Eastern Nazarene 8-0. It was Burrola’s first career no-hitter and offensively, the Monks got 3 hits from sophomore Kim Bechard and two hits and two RBI from freshman Jillian Kimball. The Monks ended the trip with a hard-fought 11-7 loss to Ohio Wesleyan and finish with a record of 3-7.

After a two-week layoff, the team dropped two games to Brandeis 9-0 and 12-2 on a windy day in Waltham, Mass. The only highlight came when junior Megan Farrell connected on a majestic home run which hit a passing train in the air. It was Farrell’s first career home run.

The Monks moved on to sweep Husson College in two one-run games by scores of 2-1 and 9-8. In the second game freshman Christy Wezowicz picked up the first win of her college career by pitching three innings in relief. Gavi Burrola had four RBI and pitched the final inning to earn a save.

From there, the Monks got overpowered by local rival USM, losing both games by a combined score of 21-0. This dropped the team to 5-11 on the season.
After splitting a doubleheader with Plymouth State, the Saint Joe’s softball team swept Maine Maritime by scores of 8-0 and 4-3. In the second game, senior Colleen Delahanty went the distance allowing three runs as the Monks held on for a tough 4-3 victory.

The team won its third game in a row after beating U-Maine Presque Isle by a score of 5-0. The Monks pounded out ten hits in this game with multiple hits coming from Alysn Ludwig, Liddy van der Linden, and Gabrielle Burrola. Following this win, the team’s record stood at 9-12.

The team ran into a rough stretch, losing two games to Colby College and two games to Suffolk University. The Monks lost their bats against Colby, being shut out in both games with scores of 2-0, 2-0. The team received good pitching in both games, but could muster only 7 hits in both games combined. Against Suffolk, the team struggled again to score, dropping the first game 4-1, and couldn’t hold onto a lead in the second game, eventually losing 9-4. Meg Farrell continued her hot hitting in the second game with 2 hits and 2 RBI.

The Monks finished the season strong, winning seven of their last eight games. After sweeping Lyndon State College 10-2 and 4-0, the Monks followed up the wins with two more against Salem State College. After an easy 9-1 win in the first game, Saint Joe’s waited until their final at-bat as Gabrielle Burrola had a walk-off two-run double to key the win.

Saint Joe’s moved on to win two games against rival U-Maine Farmington to run the consecutive win streak to six games. They scored 11 runs in both wins combined and were led by freshman Kayla Soucy who had three hits in the second game. Freshman Anna Willis also contributed 3 hits and the Monks again got good pitching from Gavi Burrola, who fanned 8 in the first game. Colleen Delahanty and Christy Wezowicz combined to hold UMF to just 3 runs in the second game.

The final games of the season were played against a tough Bowdoin College club who came into the contest with a record of 25-14. Christy Wezowicz started her first college game and pitched well, but the Monks fell 4-0. In the second game, all six seniors started and played the whole game as the Saint Joe’s softball team ended the season with a 4-3 win. It was Coach Jamie Smyth’s 200th career win and put the Monks in the books with a 16-17 record. Senior first baseman Jamie Morrison led the way, knocking in two runs for the Monks.

The team hopes to enter their new conference, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) next year with a bang. They will return 10 players from this year’s squad and look forward to facing new rivals in the upcoming 2008 season.

Despite losing four seniors to graduation last year, Coach Jamie Smyth feels very optimistic about the 2006 softball season. The strong recruiting class of 2005 should help turn the softball program back into one of the top programs in the Northeast region.

The team opens its campaign with 10 games down in sunny Ft. Myers Florida on March 13 playing a strong schedule headed by Division III powers Wheaton (Mass.) and The College of Wooster (Ohio), which recorded 30 wins in 2005.

The Monks then return home and start their Northeast schedule playing Brandeis University (Mass.) on March 31 at home. Saint Joe's always plays some of the best teams around New England, and this season is no different with local competition being provided by Southern Maine, Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, and Plymouth State (N.H.) rounding out the Monks' schedule.

Saint Joe's return one senior, Leanne Morton (Gorham, Me./Gorham) to the lineup. She is the captain of this year's squad and will anchor third base for much of the season.

On the mound the Monks have junior Colleen Delahanty (Warren, Me./Medomak Valley) returning to the rotation along with newcomer Gabrielle Burrola (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian). Both pitchers will get the bulk of work on the mound, but could be relieved by freshmen Alysn Ludwig (Waldoboro, Me./Medomak Valley) and Kristi Albert (Farmingdale, Me./Cony)

Offensively, St. Joe's will look to several returning players to produce runs. Junior Jamie Morrison (Auburn, Me./Edward Little) and Sophomore Megan Farrell (Abington, Mass./Abington) should find themselvs in the middle of the lineup along with first-year Kim Bechard (Lewiston, Me./Lewiston).

Other returners include junior Amanda Roy (Winslow, Me./Winslow) and outfielder Deb Drown (Gorham, Me./Gorham) who will both see substantial time in the starting lineup. The Monks have added a great deal of speed at the top of the batting order with freshmen outfielders Kristi Albert and Alysn Ludwig. This mixture of speed and power should be a good combination to score more runs this season.

Behind the plate will be juniors Tessa Grindle (Brooksville, Me./George Stevens) and Jaime Daugherty (Bass Harbor, Me./Mt. Desert Island), who both split time last season. Both do a good job with the pitching staff and can provide help to the lineup as well.

The goals this season are to play well enough to make either the NCAA or ECAC tournament. Coach Smyth feels now is the time for the program to turn the corner and return to it's championship form of the early 2000's. "I think any team's goal starting out each season is to participate in postseason play," says Smyth. We have a good mixture of young talent and returners who are hungry for success. I am really looking forward to seing what this team can accomplish in 2006."

The 2005 Saint Joseph's College softball season started off with a successful spring trip in Ft. Myers Florida. The lady Monks opened their season with a 4-3 win over Simmons College led by a homerun and 2 RBI's from senior Helene Liaci.

St. Joe's then posted a 11-8 win over Emmanuel College continuing to ride the hot bat of Liaci, who hit another homerun and drove in two more.

St. Joe's moved to 3-0 on the season with a 21-3 victory over Northland College of Wisconsin, taking advantage of 15 walks issued by Northland pitching, and registered 9 hits, winning easily.

After their first loss on the trip to Anna Maria, the Monks rebounded with impressive wins over Wesleyan University (2-1) and a huge victory over Curry College (2-0) who ended last season with a 36-8 record and was nationally ranked.

The Florida trip was finished off with 5 straight losses, including a 12-0 loss to nationally-ranked Montclair State of New Jersey. St. Joe's finished up with a 5-6 record in Florida which was the most wins that the softball team had obtained since they have been going to Florida. Helene Liaci ended the Florida trip hitting four homeruns and driving in 11 runs in 11 games.

Back in the cold weather, the softball team struggled early recording four straight losses, dropping consecutive double-headers to Lasell College and Thomas College. During that span, the Monks only mustered 1 run in four games while allowing a total of 14.

Saint Joe's broke back into the win column against Brandeis University, posting a 5-3 victory in the first game of two in Waltham Mass. Kahler Dowling had a strong pitching performance to send the Monks to 6-11 on the season.

The Lady Monks again hit bumps, dropping a pair to Salem State. Even pounding out 10 hits in the second game wasn't enough, as they still recorded an 11-9 loss. Allyson Ferguson was one of five players who had two hits on this blustery cold day.

St. Joe's followed this dropping two games to Plymouth State, getting shut out in both and being outscored 10-0. These two losses dropped the Monk's to 6-15 on the season.

The softball team then went on to post 4 straight wins against both Husson College and Newbury College of Mass. The Monks outscored their opponents 35-6 during these four games.

The Monks' fifth win in a row came in the form of a 7-3 victory over Maine-Farmington. Kahler Dowling went the distance, allowing 3 runs in a complete game effort. The offense was paced by Helene Liaci and Amanda Roy who knocked in two runs apiece.

Saint Joe's then went on to face nationally-ranked Babson College for two games, losing the first game in a heartbreaker 1-0. In the second game the Monks did not go quietly, but dropped a 14-6 decision.

The University of Southern Maine was next for St. Joe's and the first game was a 9-1 loss. The Monks were shut down by senior pitcher Melissa Henderson who pitched a complete game allowing only one run. The Monks came storming back to take the second game 3-2. Allyson Ferguson pitched 8 strong innings for the win in a game which featured Jamie Morrison's first collegiate home run. This win put St. Joe's at 12-19 on the season.

Saint Joseph's finished the season win 6 straight losses, 3 against Colby College, 2 against Bates College and 1 against Bowdoin College. The final record of 12-25 was not indicative of how well the Monks played given the strength of their schedule.

Offensively St. Joe's was led by Darcy Lee of Windham, Maine, who led the team with a .382 batting average and was named to the All-Independent Second Team. Kahler Dowling and Allyson Ferguson both pitched the bulk of innings for the Monks and were responsible for 11 of the 12 wins for St. Joe's.