Softball Ends 2025 Season Against Johnson & Wales in GNAC Championship Series

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The South Division third-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) softball team saw its 2025 campaign come to a heartbreaking end Sunday afternoon, dropping the final two games of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Series to South Division top-seeded Johnson & Wales University (JWU) at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.

After JWU claimed Game Two by a 5-4 score to force a decisive Game Three, the Wildcats completed the series victory with a 7-0 shutout to capture the 2025 GNAC Championship. With the results, the Blue Jays conclude the season 22-19 overall, while Johnson & Wales improves to 29-15 and earns the GNAC's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

USJ seniors Alyssa Roberts (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.), along with junior Paige Fekete (Watertown, Conn.), were named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.

GAME TWO: JWU 5, USJ 4

• Johnson & Wales took an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning.
• USJ fired back immediately, as Roberts delivered an RBI single down the left field line, plating sophomore infielder Jennifer Antonowicz (Wolcott, Conn.) to tie the game at 1-1.
• The Wildcats regained the lead with a run in the top of the second, but junior outfielder Avianna Ibrahim (Colchester, Conn.) launched a solo home run over the right field fence to even the score at 2-2 after two innings.
• JWU plated one run in the third and added two more in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead.
• The Blue Jays rallied in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman outfielder Gabby Marichal (Lynn, Mass.) knocked in a run with a single, and then a fielding error by the JWU center fielder allowed junior infielder Emma Carpenter (Brooklyn, Conn.) to score, trimming the deficit to 5-4.
• However, JWU would stifle the USJ bats in the seventh, holding on for the win, 5-4, and force a deciding Game Three.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Roberts paced the team with a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
• Antonowicz stole the lone base for USJ.
• Fekete took the loss (8-7), allowing three runs on five hits over 2.1 innings.
• Sophomore Analise Escarraman (Windham, Conn.) tossed 0.2 scoreless innings in relief.
• Roberts pitched the final 4.0 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits.

GAME THREE: JWU 7, USJ 0

• The Wildcats struck quickly in the deciding game, plating two runs in the top of the first inning.
• JWU held the USJ offense in check while adding three more runs in the fifth to make it 5-0, then padded the lead with two additional runs in the sixth.
• USJ was unable to generate a rally in the final frame, and the Wildcats secured a 7-0 win to clinch the GNAC title.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Four different Blue Jays recorded hits.
• Zup drew a team-high two walks.
• Fekete started and took the loss (8-8), allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits over 4.2 innings.
• Roberts pitched the final 1.1 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits.

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