April 9, 2010

Box Score

DAYTON, Ohio - The Saint Joseph's softball team hit the ball hard and often Friday afternoon at Dayton, collecting 10 hits and causing six errors by the Flyers in an 11-1 victory.

Saint Joseph's (16-12, 2-3 Atlantic 10) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top off the first as the Hawks quickly got to Dayton's starting pitcher, Sarah Wedel. With runners at second and third, senior catch Brooke Darreff singled, scoring junior Laura Cardone from third. SJU sophomore Monica Aguilar followed with a single to right field, allowing sophomore Bernadette Moran to score from third and give the Hawks a 2-0 edge.

A RBI ground out by Cardone in the top of the second allowed freshman Juliette D'Ambrosio to score from third to give Saint Joseph's a three-run cushion.

In the circle, Saint Joseph's sophomore Erin Gallagher was solid over the opening three innings, allowing just two Flyers to reach base.

Up by three, the Hawks opened a large gap in the top of the fourth as SJU scored three times to up its lead to 6-0. With two out, freshman outfielder Dana Parks reached on an error by Dayton's first baseman. In the next at-bat, Cardone reached on another error by Dayton's first baseman. The Flyers committed their third-straight error as their shortstop couldn't handle a hot-shot by Moran, allowing Parks to score the fourth Hawk Run.

Following a walk to Darreff to load the bases, Aguilar smacked a single to centerfield, scoring Cardone and moran to up SJU's lead to 6-0.

In the bottom of the inning Dayton threatened with bases loaded and only one out. Gallagher was stellar though on the mound though, striking out Megan Barrett for the second out and getting Courtney Kutsulis to ground out to third base to end the threat.

A two-out, bases-loaded single by Moran in the top of the fifth extended the Hawks lead to 7-0, but they failed to plate another run to put the mercy rule of eight runs in play.

Dayton (12-23-1, 2-5 A-10) answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth off SJU reliever Taryn Ashway to make it 7-1.

Saint Joseph's offense continued to chug along, making the Flyers pay for another error. Darreff led off the sixth with a walk and moved to second on a single by Aguilar. Freshman Rochelle Christman's hard shot was misplayed by the Dayton shortstop, loading the bases with no outs.

Up to the plate stepped junior Taylor Korpita with a chance to help SJU end the game early. Korpita, who entered the game as a pinch runner in the fifth and moved to left field in the bottom of the inning, drilled a grand slam homer to put the Hawks ahead 11-1.

Ashway made quick work of the Flyers in the bottom of the inning, setting them down in order.

Gallagher improved to 13-6 on the season with the win, striking out six while giving up just four hits. Ashway struck out two in two innings of work.

At the plate, Aguilar went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Korpita collected a game-high four RBI. Moran was the only other Hawk to collect multiple hits (two), with all nine players reaching base safely at least once.

The second game of the series is scheduled for noon on Saturday.