PHILADELPHIA - The Saint Joseph's softball team weren't the nicest of hosts in welcoming Atlantic 10 newcomer George Mason to the conference Saturday afternoon. The Hawks, playing their first home games of the season, downed the Patriots 9-6 in the opener and finished with a 1-0 victory in game two for the sweep.

In game one, SJU (9-10, 2-0 A-10) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as a Madeline Brunck double plated Maria Ficca and Ashley Alden.

The Patriots (8-13, 0-2 A-10) answered back, scoring twice in the top of the third off SJU sophomore pitcher Liz Mendez.

The Hawks would return fire with a run in the fourth as pinch runner Traneya White scored on a sacrifice fly by Ficca to make it 3-2.

George Mason again tied it, plating one in the top of the fifth to make it 3-3.

Saint Joseph's broke the game open in the bottom of the inning, scoring four times to take a 7-3 lead. Sarah Yoos scored the first run of the inning off a triple by Nicole Palase. Palase would score in the next at-bat on a single by Brandi Harkness to make it 5-3. A throwing error off a single by Melissa Ruf allowed Harkness and Alden to score three batters later to make it 7-3 in favor of the Hawks.

Mendez kept George Mason off the board in the sixth, while Palase added to the lead with a two-run home run that scored Yoos to make it 9-3.

George Mason would rally for three runs in the seventh, but freshman Niki Carillo came in for the final outs to earn her first collegiate save.

With the win, Mendez moved to 5-5 on the year, striking out four over six innings of work.

At the plate, Palase was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Yoos was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

In game two, freshman pitcher Emily Rogers dominated the Patriots, scattering four hits over seven innings, while striking out two.

The Hawks would jump out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Brunck scored on a single by Harkness.

That is all the offense Rogers needed, allowing just three hits from there and working out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to pick up her first collegiate shutout.

At the plate, Brunck was 2-for-3, while Yoos, Harkness and Ficca accounted for the other three hits for SJU.

Saint Joseph's returns to action with a doubleheader at Penn tomorrow.