STANDISH, Maine – The Rivier softball team opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play in dominating fashion Sunday night at Richard W. Bailey Field, dropping Saint Joseph's (Me.) in consecutive games, winning by final scores of 6-4 and 14-6.

The Raiders snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Monks, with their last win in the all-time series coming back on April 21, 2018. Rivier improved to 8-10 (2-0 GNAC), while the Monks fell to 6-12 (2-2 GNAC).

Rivier returns to action on Thursday, April 10 for its home opener in a non-conference intrastate twin bill against Plymouth St. at the Raider Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

Rivier 6, Saint Joseph's (Me.) 4

The Raiders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. A leadoff single from sophomore Hayleigh Silva got things underway for Rivier. With two outs in the inning, graduate student Hannah Muchemore hit a hard single to second base to load up the bases. A walk drawn by junior Avry Nelson brought home Silva for the contest's first run. Junior Olivia Couto followed up with a two RBI single through the left side, extending the Raiders' lead to 3-0.

Sophomore Hailey Berube logged a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the first, keeping Rivier in front 3-0. Saint Joseph's (Me.) responded with a three up, three down in the top of the second and brought home its first run of the contest in the bottom half of the frame.  

Both squads ended the third inning with scoreless outings, despite the Raiders loading up the bases in the top half.

Senior Courtney Marioles launched a two RBI triple to right field in the top of the fourth, extending Rivier's lead to 5-1. The Monks got one back in the bottom half to cut the deficit to three.

Following another 1-2-3 inning from Berube in the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders regained a four-run lead as a result of an RBI single to right field from Marioles, bringing home Caetano who doubled to begin the frame. Berube returned to the circle in the bottom of the sixth inning and pitched her fourth scoreless inning of the contest.

Rivier recorded three hits in the top of the seventh inning, but no runs came across the plate, holding on to a 6-2 lead with three outs remaining. Saint Joseph's put up two runs in the bottom half of the seventh. Later in the frame, SJC baserunners occupied first and second, but Berube got a ground out with the winning run at the plate to escape the jam and earn the win for the Raiders to snap the winless streak against their conference foes.

Berube pitched all seven innings, four of them scoreless, and allowed just three earned runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out one batter in the win. Marioles led offensively for the Raiders, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs batted in.

Rivier 14, Saint Joseph's (Me.) 6

Rivier hopped in front 2-0 as junior Kylee Caetano recorded an RBI in the first and third innings to put the visitors up by a pair. In the bottom of the third, a three-run homer erased the Raiders' lead and gave SJC its first lead of the contest, 3-2.

The Raiders used five hits to score four runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by a two-run shot to left field from graduate student Kayla Miles, helping Rivier to a 6-3 advantage. The Monks cut the Rivier lead to one run, scoring twice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame.

In the sixth, junior Hayley Rapaglia started a two-out rally, sending a three-run homer over the fence in left to make it a 9-5 game. Rivier extended its lead with a two-run double off the bat of junior Avry Nelson followed by an RBI double from Miles to go up by seven. 

Rivier added a pair of insurance runs after senior Courtney Marioles recorded a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth to make it a 14-5 ballgame. Marioles helped herself with an RBI double followed by an RBI groundout from grad Hannah Muchemore.

WIth two runners in scoring position and one out, a sacrifice fly turned into a double play as a relay from center field to third base caught up to the SJC baserunner for a tag out to end the game.

Caetano went 3-for-3 in game two, knocking in two runs while scoring once. Rapaglia (2-for-5) and Miles (2-for-4) each led the team with three RBI. Nelson went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and RBI.

Rivier was patient at the plate as the team recorded 13 hits, nine walks, and zero strikeouts.

Marioles earned the win after going 4.0 innings in a relief appearance. The righty allowed three earned runs on three hits, three walks, and a hit by pitch while also fanning one batter faced.