May 4, 2008

Box Score

CHARLOTTE - The Saint Joseph's softball team clinched a spot in next week's Atlantic 10 Championship with its split at Charlotte on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks - who won the opener 3-1 in eight innings, but fell the nightcap 2-0 - face Fordham Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the opening round of the conference postseason.

Charlotte jumped out to a 1-0 lead in game one, as Jaime West delivered a RBI-double off SJU starter Dani Gonzales in the bottom of the fourth.

The Hawks (18-21, 11-9 A-10) responded in the top of the sixth as junior right fielder Erika Rosenwinkel led off with a double, and advanced to third on the relay back to the infield. The 49ers got the first out in the next at-bat with a pop out, but SJU was able to tie the score with a sacrifice fly by Kelsey Moir that brought Rosenwinkel around to score.

Gonzales was steady for the Hawks, forcing extra innings with the score tied at one.

Freshman center fielder Laura Cardone led off the top of the eighth with a single, and quickly stole second. With one on and no outs, Rosenwnkel stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run home run to left field off Charlotte's Katy Hackett.

Up 3-1, Gonzales found herself in jam, with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the inning. Gonzales delivered for Saint Joseph's though, striking out Cee Brooks looking to end the game and earn the wins for SJU. Gonzales earned the victory, allowing just one run over eight innings of work, while striking out nine.

In the nightcap, the 49ers (32-29, 12-8 A-10) tallied the only two runs of the game in the bottom of the third on a RBIs off the bat of Whitney Williams and Serena Smith.

The 11 conference wins are the highest since the Hawks won 12 in 2003. Saint Joseph's also returns to the A-10 Tournament for the first time since 2005 and the first time under head coach Terri Adams.