ST. LOUIS - The Saint Joseph's softball team jumped out to a 2-0 lead at Saint Louis, but couldn't hold on as the Hawks fell to the Billikens, 9-3, Saturday.

Saint Joseph's (13-14, 3-3 A-10) got off to a hot start plating a run in each of the first tow innings to take a 2-0 lead. Melissa Ruf scored on a RBI single by Brandi Harkness in the first, while Ashley Alden scored on a RBI single by Madeline Brunck in the second.

Saint Louis would take advantage of four errors by the Hawks in the third and fourth, scoring twice in the third and five times in the fourth to open a 7-2 edge.

The Billikens added to their lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Saint Joseph's got out of the inning with a bases-loaded triple-play groundout.

A double by Alden in the top of the seventh would score Sarah Yoos, but the rally would fall short from there as Saint Louis closed out the game.

In the circle, freshman Niki Carillo was the hard-luck loser, allowing six runs with only one of them earned over 3.1 innings.

At the plate, Yoos, Alden and Hannah Dionne each picked up a pair of hits for Saint Joseph's

The Hawks return to action Sunday at Dayton. The first game of the doubleheader begins at noon.