May 7, 2010

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - The Saint Joseph's softball team is headed back to the Atlantic 10 Tournament thanks to a doubleheader sweep at Rhode Island on Friday. The Hawks (27-14, 11-5 Atlantic 10) won the opener 6-1 and posted a 9-3 victory in game two to earn their third-straight postseason berth.

Scoring four runs on three hits and a Ram error early in game one, SJU sophomore pitcher Erin Gallagher made sure Rhode Island would not mount a comeback. The Hawks' ace allowed one run on five hits while striking out six to improve to 21-7 on the year.

On the offensive end, SJU struck for four runs with two outs in the top of the second as freshman Dana Parks' bases-loaded RBI single plated classmate Rochelle Christman. Junior Laura Cardone followed with a two-run single to center field, with Parks scoring the third run on a Rhode Island error on the relay. The single marked the 100th hit of Cardone's career, making her the 25th Hawk in program history to hit that milestone.

Saint Joseph's added two insurance runs in the fourth on a pair of Ram mishaps. Parks scored for the second time as she came around to score from third on a wild pitch. On the same play, Cardone advanced to second and made the quick sprint to third. An errant throw by Rhode Island's catcher allowed Cardone to score easily to make it a 6-0 game.

The Rams' Courtney Prendergastt hit a solo homer with two outs in the seventh to get URI on the board, but Gallagher induced a ground out to end the game.

In game two, Rhode Island jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the first against SJU freshman pitcher Taryn Ashway.

Senior Brooke Darreff's solo homer to right field in the top of the second made it a 3-1 game, with Ashway holding the Rams off the scoreboard over the next two innings.

A three-run top of the fourth gave SJU its first lead of the game. Freshman Deanna Stinner tied the game with a two-run double to the gap in right center as Bernadette Moran and Monica Aguilar scored on the play. The Hawks grabbed the lead as Christman scored from third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Juliette D'Ambrosio.

Holding to a one-run lead, SJU inserted Gallagher in the circle to start the bottom of the fourth. The Hawks' ace scattered three hits over the final four innings, while holding URI off the scoreboard.

SJU's offense added extra runs in the sixth and seventh to push far past the Rams. Aguilar drilled a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to make it a 6-3 game, with Christman delivering the biggest blow of a three-run seventh with a two-run single. Stinner plated the ninth SJU run with a RBI single to help SJU to its fourth-straight series sweep.

The Hawks cap the regular season this Sunday with a doubleheader at A-10-leading Massachusetts. Game one is set to begin at noon.