April 28, 2013

Box Score

MERION STATION, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's softball team wrapped up its 2013 home slate with a doubleheader sweep of Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon. Melissa Ruf's RBI single in the 10th inning gave SJU a 1-0 win in the opener while her sacrifice fly in the fifth inning of the nightcap made the difference in a 2-1 victory.

In the opener, Ruf singled through the left side to score Maria Ficca with the game's only run as Saint Joseph's (31-7-1 overall, 14-4 Atlantic 10) topped the Rams, 1-0, in 10 innings.

Ficca was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and advanced to third when Dana Parks reached via an error. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Ruf ripped a base hit through the drawn-in infield to give SJU the win.

The Hawks had an opportunity to win the game in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with nobody out, but URI's Erika Szymanski retired the next three hitters in order to send the game to extra innings.

Rhode Island (9-32 overall, 2-13 Atlantic 10) had runners on second and third with two down in the ninth, but Taryn Ashway induced a groundout to escape the threat. The Hawks then put two on in the ninth but were unable to push a run across.

That set up the dramatic 10th inning, where Ficca, Parks, and Ruf combined to manufacture the winning run.

Ashway went the distance, scattering four hits and one walk to go with seven strikeouts to improve to 25-3 on the season. Szymanski was the hard-luck loser, falling to 4-12 after allowing one unearned run on seven hits and two walks. She fanned one.

In game two, Rhode Island's Sam Bedore tossed a no-hitter, but an error and a sacrifice fly allowed the Hawks to pull out a 2-1 win.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Ficca was hit by a pitch. Parks then hit into a fielder's choice, but the throw to second sailed into right field, allowing Ficca to score the game's first run and Parks to get to third. Ruf followed with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Parks and made it a 2-0 game.

The Rams rallied in the seventh, loading the bases with one out. Jocelyn Mattison brought home a run with an RBI groundout, but Ashway got Ashley Olson to ground out to third to end the ballgame.

Liz Mendez improved to 6-4 on the year, scattering seven hits and one walk to go with five strikeouts in six innings. Ashway allowed an unearned run and a walk while fanning one to notch her third save. Bedore was charged with two unearned runs and issued four walks in six innings.

The Hawks will close out the regular season on the road, traveling to Fordham for single games on Friday and Saturday before a season-ending doubleheader at George Washington on Sunday.