FORT MYERS, Fla. – St. Joseph’s College lost to RPI, 7-1, and Montclair State, 12-0, at the Lee County Sports Complex Saturday to end their spring softball tournament with a 5-6 record.
In the first game against RPI, Nikki Dooby struck out 10 St. Joe’s batters to earn her second win of the season.
RPI (2-1) scored quickly as lead-off hitter Liz Vitaliano singled and Courtney Sweeney moved her over with a bunt. Steph Varek singled and Vitaliano advanced to third. Varek stole second, Katherine Valenta singled and Vitaliano scored the run.
After another RPI run in the second inning, St. Joe’s scored its only run of the game in the third inning. Junior Leanne Morton singled and senior Allyson Ferguson of Sabattus walked. Senior Kahler Dowling drove in Morton with a single. RPI scored two runs in the fourth, one in fifth, and two more in the sixth inning.
Dooby struck out the first two batters of the seventh inning. Senior Darcy Lee gave the Monks hope with a single but the game ended as senior Allyson Ferguson flew out to center field.
In the second game, St. Joe’s knew it was up against one of the strongest teams in the tournament and this was quickly reinforced as the first two Montclair batters crushed solo home runs.
Montclair (2-0) went on to score eight runs in the first inning and its defense was also solid, robbing the Monks of base hits all afternoon.
Sophomore Jamie Morrison of Auburn was the lone base runner for St. Joe’s after reaching on a walk in the second inning.
Montclair added four more runs in the third to make it 12-0 and the game ended in the top of the fifth when St. Joe’s was unable to score and avoid the eight-run rule.
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