JWU, USJ Set To Meet In GNAC Championship Series

WINTHROP, Mass. - It will be a battle of the two South Divisional teams as top-seeded Johnson & Wales will host the #3S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Championship Series. The winner will earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2025 NCAA DIII Softball Tournament.

JWU kept their undefeated winning streak alive in postseason play alive after defeating defending back-to-back champion #3N Simmons in a 6-2 fashion. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays defeated intrastate rival and #2S seed Albertus Magnus 6-3. 

JWU heads back to the championship series and look to win for the first time since 2022 and collect their sixth GNAC title in the program's history. Meanwhile, USJ will look to capture their first GNAC title since 2019 and third overall. During regular season play, Johnson & Wales swept the Blue Jays in a conference doubleheader.

Championship Series Info:

Championship Series - Friday, May 9
(Host Johnson & Wales)

Game 10 - #1S Johnson & Wales vs. #3S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), TBD

Championship Series Day 2- Saturday, May 10
(Host Johnson & Wales)

Game 11 - #1S Johnson & Wales v. #3S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), TBD
Game 12 - #1S Johnson & Wales v. #3S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), (if necessary)

Recap/Photo Courtesy of Johnson & Wales Athletic Communications

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore Jessica Forneiro broke a scoreless tie with a two-run double in the fourth and junior Mady Lyons smacked a three-run home run in the seventh to send the JWU (Providence) softball team to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship with a 6-2 win over Simmons University Sunday afternoon at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.

With the win, the Wildcats (27-14) – whose 27 wins is the eighth-most in program history – will host the University of Saint Joseph on Friday and Saturday, May 9-10 with the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Senior Katie Scheid struck out five in seven innings of work to pick up her 14th win of the season, which tied a career-high set last season. The Hightstown, New Jersey native and GNAC Pitcher of the Year candidate allowed six hits and two runs without allowing a walk.

After Lyons poked a one-out single and senior Caroline Amorelli reached on an error, Forneiro ripped a shot over the head of the right fielder to plate two and stake her team to a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats then opened the seventh with consecutive singles from sophomore Chloe Brunelle, junior Jadyn Torres, and senior Mackenzie Clee to load the bases.

Following a sac fly off the bat of sophomore Amanda Madigan, Lyons slammed her 12th home run of the season over the centerfield fence to make it 6-0. The Sharks (20-22) threatened in the seventh before Scheid induced a grounder to short for the final out of the contest.

Lyons finished with two hits and three RBI while Brunelle also picked up two hits.

Recap/Photo Courtesy of University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Athletic Communications

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The South Division third-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) softball team is headed to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Series after defeating South Division second-seeded and intrastate rival Albertus Magnus College (AMC), 6-3, in the Pod A Finals Saturday afternoon at the USJ Softball Field.

With the win, the Blue Jays (21-17) will face South Division top-seeded Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in a best-of-three series for the conference title on Friday and Saturday in Providence, R.I. USJ will look to capture its first GNAC Championship since 2019 and the third in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USJ took the early lead after senior first baseman Alyssa Roberts (Naugatuck, Conn.) slashed a two-RBI single down the right field line to establish a 2-0 USJ lead.
• Two batters later, freshman outfielder Lorynes Suriel (Lynn, Mass.), notched a single to left field, plating sophomore infielder Jennifer Antonowicz (Wolcott, Conn.) to increase the gap to 3-0.
• The Falcons responded in the top half of the second, scoring once before tying the game with two runs in the top half of the fourth inning, knotting the score at 3-3 entering the bottom of the fourth.
• Suriel continued her strong day at the plate, launched an RBI double to straight center field to retake the lead for the Blue Jays, 4-3.
• Junior catcher Allison Conger (Plainfield, Conn.) continued the run parade, laying down a bunt that enabled Suriel to dash home and beat the tag, extending the lead to 5-3.
• Antonowicz capped off the big inning for USJ, notching an RBI-single through the left side, furthering the USJ edge to 6-3.
• Roberts would then enter the game in relief of starter junior Paige Fekete (Watertown, Conn.) to open the fifth inning, surrendering just two hits across the remaining three innings to secure the win for USJ, 6-3.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Suriel paced the team with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, notching two RBI.
• Roberts also recorded a team-high two RBI.
• Fekete got the start inside the circle and picked up the win (7-6) after allowing three runs off six hits, while tossing one strikeout in 4.0 innings of work.
• Roberts earned her second career save after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings, tallying one punchout.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays advance to the GNAC Championship Series and will face South Division top-seeded Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in the opening game of a best-of-three series on Friday, May 9. First pitch against the Wildcats at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex in Providence, R.I. is still to be determined.

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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