April 7, 2012
Box Score
(By Nikki Philpot)
MERION STATION, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's softball team concluded a six-game homestand with a split over Atlantic 10 conference opponent George Washington on Saturday afternoon at the SJU Softball Field. The Hawks dropped Game One in five innings, 12-4, but came back to defeat the Colonials, 6-1, in Game Two.
In Game One, George Washington (11-24 overall, 2-5 Atlantic 10) got on the board in the top of the third as Lauren Wilson hit a solo home run to right-center to put the Colonials ahead, 1-0. A double, single and walk loaded the bases for George Washington before a Saint Joseph's throwing error from third to home allowed two Colonials to score, extending GW's lead to 3-0. With baserunners on first and third, the next Colonial hit an infield single to drive in the fourth run of the inning, giving George Washington a 4-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the third.
Saint Joseph's (13-19 overall, 5-3 Atlantic 10) responded as senior Alaina Loguidice led off the bottom half of the third with a single to left and advanced to second on heads up baserunning. Loguidice advanced to third on a single by junior Dana Parks and scored on a ground ball fielder's choice to the right side by senior Bernadette Moran. Freshman Lauren Rendon doubled to left-center to drive in Moran, cutting the Hawk deficit in half, 4-2.
An eight-run fourth inning that saw six hits including Wilson's second home-run of the day, a three-run blast to deep center, further extended George Washington's lead over Saint Joseph's, 12-2.
The Hawks chipped back in the bottom half of the fourth as junior Rochelle Christman walked and sophomore Maria Ficca blasted a shot over the fence in left-center, cutting the deficit to eight runs, 12-4.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the home half of the fifth, Saint Joseph's could not convert, dropping Game One, 12-4.
Parks went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the Hawk offense for the second consecutive game. Ficca collected two RBI and scored one run for SJU.
Senior Erin Gallagher (6-10) was tagged with the loss, allowing six hits and one earned run in 4.1 innings of work.
The Hawks would jump out in front early in Game Two as freshman Melissa Ruf beat out an infield single and scored the first run of the ball game on a double by Moran in the bottom of the first inning.
In the second, with Hawks on first and second after Christman singled and sophomore Morgan Earling walked, Loguidice doubled to left field to score Christman and advance Earling to third. Freshman Nicole Palase followed with a single to right to score Earling. Palase advanced to second base on a fielder's choice and scored on Moran's second hit of the game, a single to centerfield, to extend the Hawk lead to 4-0.
Junior Taryn Ashway struck out the first two Colonial batters in the top of the third, but a hit batter and back-to-back singles allowed GW to tack on a run, tightening the Hawk lead to three runs, 4-1.
Rendon answered back for Saint Joseph's in the bottom half of the third as she went deep to center, smashing a solo home run to increase the lead for the Hawks, 5-1.
Saint Joseph's continued to be offensively dominant in the sixth as Ruf, who reached base on her third hit of the game, a single to left, scored on a Moran double to left field.
The Hawks turned their first double play on the new SJU Softball Field in the top of the seventh as Christman scooped up a ground ball and fired it over to Moran at second. Moran threw the ball to first to beat the runner. With two outs, Ruf snagged a line drive in left to cap the win for the Hawks, 6-1.
Moran had three hits and three RBI for Saint Joseph's while Ruf was good for three hits and two runs scored. Christman recorded two hits and scored one run for the Hawks.
Ashway improves to 7-9 with the win, striking out seven and allowing only one run on five hits in a complete game effort.
Saint Joseph's returns to action on April 10 as they take on Lafayette in Easton, Pa. Game time is scheduled for 3:00pm.
