March 18, 2005

Box Score

GEORGETOWN, DE - The Saint Joseph's softball team dropped its opening two games at the Bash at the Beach Tournament Friday, falling to Monmouth 7-6 in eight innings and 4-1 to city rival Penn in the nightcap.

In the opener, both teams went scoreless over the first two innings before Monmouth got on the board in the top of the third. Sue Micchelli and Lori Padgett both knocked RBI-singles off Hawks hurler Lauren Cognigni to give Monmouth a 2-0 lead.

Saint Joseph's responded in the top of the third, plating three to take a 3-2 lead. With the bases loaded, senior shortstop Cara Deldeo hit into a fielder's choice, allowing Megan Richardson to score from third. Rachel Pawlikowski followed with a RBI single to right-center field as junior Jill Clementi came around to score from second to tie the game at two apiece. Deldeo would come around to score on the next play, as Miccheli overthrew her first baseman on a Lauren Pachioli groundball.

Monmouth regained the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs to take a 6-3 lead. Miccheli, Kara O'Dell, Heather Gordon and Jessica Christ each were credited with a RBI apiece.

Trailing by three, the Hawks would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs in the bottom portion. Junior Katie McCann put the first run on the board with a RBi single, as Richardson tied the game with a two-RBI single with two outs.

After two scoreless innings, the game was forced into extra innings. Playing by the international softball rules for extra-inning games, Monmouth began the top of the eighth with a runner at second base. Monmouth's pinch runner, Alyson Slattery, would advance on the next play; a sacrifice bunt by KristinWilson. Following a strike out, Slattery would come around to score on a Miccheli bunt as the Hawk infield failed to cover first base.

In the bottom half of the inning, with McCann at third following a Richardson sacrifice, Saint Joseph's failed to connect as Monmouth retired the next two SJU batters to end the game.

Cognigni pitched all eight innings for the Hawks, striking out eight in the loss. Richardson finished two-for-four with two RBI, while senior Robin Berry went two-for-five.

In the nightcap, both teams again failed to score in the opening two innings.

Penn jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third as the Quakers took advantage of two Saint Joseph's errors that extended the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Hawks drew within one, 2-1, on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Clementi.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, they would not score over the next four innings, while Penn added an insurance run in the fourth and the seventh.

Sophomore Lauren Hughes struck out two in the complete-game loss. Clementi claimed the lone RBI, while McCann scored the run.

With the two losses, Saint Joseph's falls to 2-7 on the season.

The Hawks will return to action tomorrow at 10 a.m. versus Lafayette in the second day of play at the Bash at the Beach. Saint Joseph's will finish pool play later in the afternoon versus Saint Peter's.