May 10, 2012

Box Score

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's softball team kept its title dreams alive at the Atlantic 10 Champions on Thursday at the Billiken Sports Center. After falling to second-seed Fordham, 4-1, in the quarterfinals, the Hawks rallied for a 6-1 win over fifth-seeded Charlotte.

Saint Joseph's (22-28-1) will face fourth-seed George Washington at 4:30 p.m. EST in an elimination game on Friday.

Against the 49ers, the Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as junior center fielder Dana Parks scored from second on a RBI single to right center off the bat of senior second baseman Bernadette Moran.

Moran came through in the clutch again, this time in the top of the third, tripling down the left field line, allowing freshman left fielder Melissa Ruf to score from first to make it 2-0. Moran made it 3-0 as she scored on the next at-bat as freshman catcher Lauren Rendon singled to left field.

Saint Joseph's broke the game open in the top of the fourth thanks to a Charlotte error. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ruf swung at strike three, but the ball bounced away from Charlotte's catcher, allowing Ruf to reach first safely and freshman Nicole Palase to score from third.

Moran followed with a two-run single to left field that scored Parks and senior Alaina Loguidice to make it 6-0.

Charlotte cut the deficit to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI single by Samantha Slade.

Saint Joseph's junior Taryn Ashway came in in the sixth to close the door, pitching two shutout innings to preserve the win.

Gallagher improved to 12-14 on the year with the win, while Moran was 3-for-4 with four RBI in the win.