March 27, 2011

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's softball team split its doubleheader with Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon at Villanova's softball field. The Hawks fell 6-4 in eight innings in the opener, but came back for a 5-2 win in game two.

In the opener, Massachusetts took advantage of two costly SJU errors in the seventh and the eighth to come from behind for a 6-4 win in eight innings.

The Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as sophomore Shannon Kramer drilled a shot that bounced off the top of the left-center wall and bounced over for a two-run home run that scored junior Monica Aguilar.

Saint Joseph's would take a 2-0 edge into the top of the seventh, but the Minutewomen plated three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Teea Rogers reached on a throwing error by SJU's shortstop and Lindsey Webster followed with a two-run shot to right field to tie the score at 2-2. Following a double by Kyllie Magill, UMass pitcher Sara Plourde singled to centerfield, scoring Magill.

Trailing 3-2 and down to its final out, Saint Joseph's senior Taylor Korpita came threw, scoring Alaina Loguidice from second to tie the game at 3-3 and force extra innings.

The Minutewomen would tack on three more runs in the top of the eighth, thanks to a throwing error with one out that allowed runners at the corners. Following a groundout, and an intentional walk to Stephanie Mayne, UMass' Cyndil Mathew doubled to left field, to put her team up 5-3. A slow-hit ball by Magill scored the third run of the inning as she beat the throw to first base.

The Hawks would cut the deficit to 6-4 on a solo homer to centerfiled by Aguilar, but Plourde kept the Hawks off the scoreboard otherwise to earn the win for Massachusetts.

Junior Erin Gallagher was the hard-luck loser, allowing just one earned run over 7.0+ innings, while striking out eight.

Following a hard-fought loss in extra innings in the opener, the Hawks regrouped and took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by Kramer that plated Dana Parks and Laura Cardone.

The Minutewomen would get to starter Taryn Ashway for a pair of runs in the top of the second to tie the score at 2-2.

The game would remain tied heading into the bottom of the sixth. Bernadette Moran would reach base to start the inning on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Following a ground out, Kramer smacked a double to the right center gap, plating Moran with the go-ahead run. With two outs, senior Taylor Korpita added two insurance runs with a two-run homer to right center to put SJU up 5-2.

Gallagher, who relieved Ashway in the top of the sixth, worked a scoreless seventh to earn the victory.