STANDISH, Maine – The Norwich University softball team was eliminated from the 2014 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon after a 10-4 loss to the Univ. of St. Joseph (Conn.) in the loser's bracket.

Norwich (18-18) couldn't hold a 4-1 lead that it built up after the first inning, surrendering runs in four straight innings starting in the top of the third as No. 4-seed St. Joseph (Conn.) capitalized on three key Cadet errors.

Sophomore Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) continued her strong late season push, delivering the big blow in the bottom of the first inning with a bases-clearing three-run double to break a 1-1 tie. Senior Abby Belcher (Winthrop, Mass.) also had a RBI double that scored Melissa Rome (Enfield, Conn.) earlier in the inning.

After throwing every inning for Norwich on the mound in the 2014 playoffs in a yeoman's effort, junior Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) finally showed signs of wilting in the top of the fourth inning, giving up two doubles, two runs, a walk and throwing a passed ball that proved to be her final pitch of the season. NU head coach Julie Craig pulled her ace for senior Kaylie Miller (Long Lake, N.Y.).

Miller gave up a sacrifice fly that tied the game with her first batter and then gave up a walk and back-to-back singles that gave the Blue Jays the lead at 5-4 that they would never look back from.

Miller got out of the fourth, but USJ tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth to take the wind out of Norwich's sails.

By then time USJ took the 5-4 lead, the Blue Jays had their ace Patti Sciglimpaglia on the mound after Danielle Circosta started the game. As she did in the regular season meeting, Sciglimpaglia silenced the Norwich bats, going 4.2 innings scattering four hits and striking out four while walking one. She also was effective at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs.

Every USJ hitter recorded at least one hit as the Blue Jays notched 14 against the Norwich pitching duo.

Belcher, Rome and Payton Warner (Harwich, Mass.) each had two hits to lead the Cadets.

Norwich finished tied for fifth place with Suffolk. St. Joseph (Conn.) will take on Simmons in the next round of the loser's bracket. Johnson & Wales and St. Joseph's (Maine) meet in the winner's bracket finals Saturday.

Saturday's game marked the final one in the careers of Belcher, Miller, Erin Clark (Newbury, Vt.) and Briana Day (Yelm, Wash.). They compiled a 74-66 record over their four-year careers in the Maroon & Gold.