Seniors Go Out With Sweep of Rivier

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – University of Saint Joseph seniors Emily Hummel (Hebron, Conn.) and Stephanie Valerio (Wolcott, Conn.) had four and three hits respectively on the day as the softball team completed the regular season with a 7-1, 3-2 sweep of Rivier Sunday at USJ.

USJ finished the regular season 30-10 overall and 18-6 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The Blue Jays have set a school record for wins in a season. Rivier finished 15-17 and 11-11. USJ will host a first round GNAC Tournament game Wed. April 24 with the time and opponent to be determined.

Hummel and Valerio were honored between games as they played the final regular-season home games of their careers. The pair are first and second in the USJ record books for games played (Valerio 163, Hummel 160), games started (Valerio 159, Hummel 157), runs scored (Valerio 102, Hummel 100) and hits (Hummel 169, Valerio 154). Hummel is also the career leader in RBI with 91. As a pitcher, Hummel has appeared in the most games (83) and is second all-time in wins (41) and strikeouts (373).

In the opener USJ freshman Patti Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) pitched a three-hitter and allowed no earned runs in a complete game win. Down 1-0 in the sixth, USJ exploded for seven runs. Valerio and Hummel each had two hits in the inning. Patti Sciglimpaglia had a two-run double in the rally, Shauna Sullivan (Rocky Hill, Conn.) drove in one with a double, and Emily Vigue (Lebanon, Conn.), Haley McCall (Lebanon, Conn.) and Hummel had run-scoring singles.

Hummel struck out four and allowed six hits in a complete game victory to finish the sweep. USJ took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Ashley Gall (Stafford Springs, Conn.) had a leadoff double down the left field line and scored on a one-out single to left by Mary Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, Conn.) USJ made it 2-0 in the fifth. Hilary LaRosa (Meriden, Conn.) singled to lead off, went to second on a wild pitch, third on a McCall infield single and scored on a single to left by Hummel.

In the top of the sixth, Rivier pulled even on a single by Nicole Peacock (Warwick, R.I.) and a long home run by Marissa Mercier (N. Smithfield, R.I.) Peacock and Mercier each had two of the Raiders' six hits in the second game and each finished the day with three of their team's nine total hits.

USJ scored the winning run in the sixth when Sullivan reached on a one-out error and scored on a double to center field by LaRosa.

"Emily is the best overall player I have coached at USJ," St. Joseph coach Jim McKinnon said. "Pitching, hitting, defensive play at three positions, you name it, Emily has excelled at it. She holds several individual records and has been a major reason why we have made the playoffs all four years she has played here. Simply put, she's had a great career.

"Stephanie is a warrior. She comes to play every day whether it is a practice or a game. Steph does so many of the little things to help us win -- bunting, stealing bases, getting clutch hits -- and most importantly, solidifying the shortstop position for us for four years. And she's been a captain who leads by example."