March 7, 2008

Box Score

CLEARWATER, FL - The Saint Joseph's softball team lost a pair of games in the opening day of the University of South Florida Under Armour Invitational. The Hawks dropped a 2-1 contest versus Jacksonville in the opener, and fell to the host South Florida Bulls, 5-1, in a rain-delayed second game.

In game one, Jacksonville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Katarina Engler drilled a two-out two-RBI single off Saint Joseph's pitcher Lauren Cognigi.

The Hawks (1-7) rallied in the bottom of fourth, cutting the deficit to 2-1 as junior Dani Gonzales collected a RBI single, as classmate Erika Rosenwinkel came around to score.

Unfortunately for Saint Joseph's, it collected only one hit over the final three innings as the Dolphins held on for the win. Cognigni was the hard-luck loser for SJU, allowing two earned runs over seven innings, while striking out five.

The host South Florida Bulls grabbed control of the contest early in the second contest, touching up Gonzales for a pair of runs in the bottom of the third.

Following a rain delay, that stretched until Friday morning due to thunder storms, Saint Joseph's got on the board in the top of the fifth as a double by Rosenwinkel scored freshman Dana Bieniek to cut the deficit to 2-1.

But for the second straight game, the Hawks couldn't claw back from an early hole, as the Bulls added three runs in the bottom of the sixth to insure the win.

Rosenwinkel led the way for Saint Joseph's, going 2-for-6 with a RBI and run scored.

Saint Joseph's continues play at Under Armour Invitational Friday afternoon versus Penn State.