May 11, 2013

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - Battling back from down six, the Saint Joseph's softball team got the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they were unable to score from their as they fell to Fordham, 6-5, in the title game of the Atlantic 10 Championship at Sortino Field.

Having beaten Fordham earlier in the day to force the decisive game, Saint Joseph's fell behind early to the Rams as they slugged their way to a 6-0 edge.

Saint Joseph's got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with four runs to cut the game to 6-4. Pinch runner Traneya scored the Hawks' first run on a RBI single to left field by pinch hitter Juliette D'Ambrosio. Nicole Palase would follow with a single to left, allowing Dana Parks to score from second. Sarah Yoos followed with a two-run single that snuck through the right side of the infield, scoring Melissa Ruf and Palase.

The Hawks would again rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Parks singled home Morgan Earling with two outs to make it a 6-5 game. Bringing the winning run to the plate in the form of Ruf, Saint Joseph's rally came to a close on a bang-bang play on a force play at second base.

In a memorable season that had the Hawks match their program record for wins (37-10-1), Parks, Yoos and freshman Liz Mendez were named to the A-10 All-Championship Team.

In the first, Elise Fortier put Fordham up 1-0 in the top of the first on a two-out solo home run to left center.

Fordham added to their lead as Paige Ortiz drilled a two-run home run with two outs in the top of the second to make it 3-0.

The Rams continued to hit as Kayla Lombardo's two-run home run in the third upped Fordham's lead to 5-0.

A sacrifice fly by Fortier scored Palumbo to make it 6-0 in the fifth.

The Hawks would rally leading to the exciting final inning.