CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Saint Joseph's softball team picked up a pair of wins Friday in the opening day of the University of South Florida Under Armour Challenge. The Hawks topped Maine in the opener, 6-3, before besting Western Michigan, 7-6 in the evening.

Opening up versus Maine, Saint Joseph's (5-4) took a 1-0 in the bottom of the first on an RBI single br Brandi Harkness that scored Melissa Ruf.

The Black Bears would score twice in the top of the second, but the Hawks answered back in the bottom half of the inning as Ashley Alden tied the game at 2-2 as she scored on a sacrifice fly by Stephanie Chaiser.

Saint Joseph's would pull away from Maine in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three times. Nicole Palase's triple plated Ruf and Maria Ficca to open the scoring, while Harkness followed with an RBI double to score Palase to make it a 5-2 game.

Maine would add a run in the top of the sixth, but Alden would answer in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a wild pitch to make it 6-3.

In the circle, Liz Mendez went the distance for the win for SJU, allowing three runs on six hits, while striking out five.

In the second game, Western Michigan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Hawks would answer back in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 2-2. Madeline Brunck's fielder's choice scored the first SJU run as Traneya White scored. Palase followed with an RBI ground out that scored Ficca to tie the game at two all.

Western Michigan struck for two runs in the top of the fourth, but the Hawks busted out on offense in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times to take a 7-4 lead.

Hannah Dionne got the offense moving with a two run single that scored Alden and Sarah Yoos to tie the game. Following a pitching change, Ficca drilled an RBI single that scored Kerrie Kortmann, and would come around to score the fourth run as Western Michigan botched a double steal from Ficca and Isabella Picard. Picard would come around to score the fifth run on an RBI ground out off the bat of Ruf.

Western Michigan would rally for a run in the fifth and seventh, but SJU's pitching and defense held them off to earn the win.

In the circle, Anna Lauterbach picked up the win, going 3.1 innings of relief, and allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out one. Freshman Emily Rogers started the game for SJU, going 3.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits, while finishing with two strike outs.