May 14, 2011

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Saint Joseph's quest for the Atlantic 10 softball title came to an end on Saturday as the Hawks were defeated by Fordham, 4-0, in the championship game at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex. The Hawks needed to win two games against Fordham in order to claim the title in the double-elimination format.

Boxscore

The game will be televised on a tape-delay basis by CBS College Sports beginning at 3:30 p.m. today.

SJU placed four players on the All-Tournament Team - senior Dana Bieniek, and juniors Erin Gallagher, Monica Aguilar, and Alaina Loguidice.

The Hawks began the day at 9 a.m. by finishing a contest with Massachusetts that had been suspended from 9:30 p.m. Friday night. SJU then took on Fordham beginning at 11:00 a.m. after pulling out the 6-2 win over UMass in nine innings. Saint Joseph's played a total of 20 innings on Friday as the Hawks needed 11 to defeat home team Charlotte.

Jen Mineau tossed a one-hitter for Fordham as Loguidice managed the only hit for the Hawks. Gallagher suffered the loss for SJU.

Fordham (41-17) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Jamie LaBovick led off with a walk, while Beckah Wiggins reached on a fielding error to second. Chelsea Palumbo grounded out to first, but advanced the runners to second and third with only one out. A full-count walk to Gabby Lutey loaded the bases.

Jessica Crowley put the Rams ahead 2-0 as a short chopper allowed LaBovick to score from third, while Wiggins scored the second run on an errant throw home as SJU tried to get the force out at home.

The Hawks (31-16) would get out of trouble though. Gallagher struck out Lindsey Kay Bright for the second out, while Bieniek threw Crowley out at third to end the inning.

Fordham added to their lead with a pair of runs on a controversial play in the bottom of the third. With a runner at first, Samantha Pellechio lined a shot down the first base line and that grazed the top of Alaina Loguidice's glove and bounced down the fencing. The ball appeared wedged between the tarp and fence, but the two Ram runners kept running despite SJU's Shannon Kramer waving her arm to alert the umpires about the stuck ball. Both runners came around to score despite appeals by Saint Joseph's.