April 27, 2008

Box Score

EAST NORRITON, PA - A two-run pinch-hit double by junior Sarah Falk in the bottom of the sixth helped the Saint Joseph's softball team to a 4-3 come-from-behind win in game two of the Hawks' Atlantic 10 doubleheader Sunday afternoon at East Norriton Field. Saint Joseph's, which fell 3-0 in eight innings in game one, moved to 17-20 overall and 10-8 in conference play heading into the final doubleheader of the season next Sunday at Charlotte.

Trailing 3-2 to start the bottom of the sixth, the first two SJU batters reached safely, but the Colonials' starter Amanda Gabriel retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a foul out. Saint Joseph's head coach Terri Adams went to her bench, selecting Falk to pinch hit. The move paid off for the Hawks, as Falk delivered a two-run double to center field, scoring junior Erika Rosenwinkel and sophomore Brooke Darreff on the play.

Holding a 4-3 edge, Saint Joseph's senior Lauren Cognigni gave up a one-out single in the top of the seventh, but got the next two George Washington batters to fly out to end the game. Cognigni earned the complete-game victory, finishing with a game-high nine strikeouts.

The Colonials (11-26, 7-9 A-10) jumped out to 2-0 lead to start game two on a two-run single up the middle by Gabriel.

Saint Joseph's answered back in the bottom half of the first, as freshman outfielder Laura Cardone scored on a Colonial fielding error, while senior Kelsey Moir tied the game with a RBI-single.

Chrysanthi Halkiotis gave George Washington the lead back in the top of the fifth with a solo home run to left center field, but the Hawks answered back behind Falk's drive in the sixth.

In the opener, both Gabriel and Saint Joseph's starting pitcher Dani Gonzales were stellar, as the game remained scoreless through seven innings.

George Washington took advantage of an early error, plating three runs in the top of eight. The Colonials tallied the first run on a bases-loaded field's choice by Gabriel, and added a pair of insurance runs on two-run double by Katie Miller in the next at-bat.

Gabriel would go on to retire the Hawks in order in the bottom of the innings to preserve the victory for George Washington.

Gonzales, who finished allowed three unearned runs and struck out 10, was the hard-luck loser for SJU in game one.