Feb. 26, 2011

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL - The Saint Joseph's softball team made a major statement Saturday, proving its one of the top teams in the region as the Hawks blanked host North Carolina, 8-0, in five innings at the Carolina Classic and following with a 5-3 win over North Carolina State.

On the mound, redshirt junior Lauren Pembleton set the tone early against UNC, retiring the Tar Heels in order to start the top of the first.

The bats came alive quickly for SJU in the bottom half of the inning, plating five runs. Junior Monica Aguilar collected a pair of RBI on single to right field that scored senior Laura Cardone and junior Bernadette Moran. Following a double by senior Dana Bieniek, sophomore Rochelle Christman crushed a three-run homer deep over the left field wall to up SJU's lead to 5-0.

Following another one-two-three inning by Pembleton, Saint Joseph's added to its lead on a RBI single by Moran that plated junior Alaina Loguidice.

The score remained 6-0 in the Hawks' favor heading into the bottom of the fourth when SJU took advantage of its speed and a fielding error by UNC. With freshman Maria Ficca at third and sophomore Dana Parks at first, the Hawks executed a perfect double steal, with Ficca scoring and Parks moving to second. Parks would come around to score the eighth SJU run as Moran reached on a fielding error by UNC' second baseman.

Needing three outs to mercy rule the Tar Heels, the Hawks turned to junior Erin Gallagher. Gallagher struck out the leadoff batter before issuing a walk. The runner would never move as Gallagher ended the game with a pair of strike outs to punctuate a strong early-season win for the Hawks.

Pembleton earned the win, allowing just two hits, while striking out four to improve to 1-0 on the year.

North Carolina, ranked 22nd the previous week, fell to 8-5 with the loss.

Avenging a loss to the Wolf Pack on Friday, the Hawks struck first on a RBI single by Bieniek in the bottom of the first that scored Moran.

North Carolina State took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second off a two-run homer and tacked one a third run in the third inning to go up 3-1.

The Hawks bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-3 edge. Sophomore Deanna Stinner got SJU on the board with a two-run single that scored Bieniek and Aguilar. Stinner and Sasala would score later in the inning on a throwing error by the Wolf Pack's second baseman off a sharply hit ball by sophomore Shannon Kramer.

Sophomore Taryn Ashway would do the rest from there, allowing just two hits over the final four innings to close out the victory.