ELON, N.C. - The Saint Joseph's softball team split the final two game of its season-opening weekend at the Elon Phoenix Opening Tournament. The Hawks fell 5-2 to Niagara in eight innings in the morning, but came back for a 5-2 win over Iona to cap the tournament with a 2-2 mark.

Versus Iona, the Hawks fell behind 1-0 in the top of the second, but rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1. Sarah Yoos scored the first on an Iona error, while Ashley Alden scored on a RBI ground out by Madeline Brunck.

Brunck and Nicole Palase picked up an RBI each in the fourth to make it 4-2, while an RBI single by Kerrie Kortmann scored Alden to make it 5-2 in the fifth.

Sophomore Liz Mendez held Iona off the board in the sixth to improve to 2-0, while classmate Anna Lauterbach threw a scoreless seventh to pick up her first career save.

Playing the Purple Eagles for the second time in as many days, the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a solo home run from Sarah Yoos in the second and a run scored by Yoos as she scored on a run-down play off a single by classmate Brandi Harkness.

Niagara tied the game with two runs in the sixth and would score three times in the top of the eighth to jump out to a 5-2 edge.

The Hawks would fail to score in the bottom of the eighth as SJU and Niagara split their two games.

Saint Joseph's returns to action at the Hampton University Tournament next Friday and Saturday.