MERION STATION, Pa. - Sophomore pitcher Liz Mendez tossed her first collegiate no-hitter and senior Maria Ficca collected six RBI in game one as the Saint Joseph's softball team downed George Washington, 11-0, in five innings and followed with a 7-5 win in game two Saturday afternoon at the SJU Softball Field.
Mendez took control from the start in game one, working out of a jam by hitting the lead-off batter. She'd get the runner and set down the next two batters in dominante style to foreshadow what was to come. The staff ace would allow just one walk and hit one other batter over the next four innings, while she finished with four strike outs to become the seventh Hawk to record a no-hitter.
At the plate, Ficca delivered on Senior Day, going 2-for-2 with a grand slam home run and a two-run single to pace the SJU offense.
The Hawks got on the board first in the bottom of the second tacking on three runs. Nicole Palase led off with a double and would score on the next at-bat on a RBI single by Ashley Alden. Alden and Ficca would come in to score on a two-out bases loaded single by Melissa Ruf.
Ficca would help Saint Joseph's widen its lead in the third. The Hawks would score their first run as Traneya White scored from third on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Following a hit by pitch by senior Morgan Earling, Ficca delivered a shot down the left field line that disappeared over the left field wall for a grand slam to put her team up 8-0.
Two run by single Ficca in the bottom of the fourth plated Alden and pinch runner Kerrie Kortmann to make it 10-0. Isabella Picard followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Earling to make it 11-0 in favor of the Hawks.
In game two, Morgan Matetic put the Colonials up 2-0 in the top of the first on a two-run home run that just cleared the left field wall.
The Hawks would answer in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five times on seven hits to take a 5-2 lead.
Sophomore pitcher Anna Lauterbach would come in for starter Niki Carillo and keep George Washington off the board over the next three innings, while the SJU bats remained hot.
Ruf started the outburst with a triple down the left field line and would come around to score the first run on a RBI double by Yoos. Brandi Harkness delivered a two-run homer deep over the left field walk to put SJU up 3-2. Alden would single and score on a RBI single by Hannah Dionne to give SJU two-run lead, while Earling would double home Dionne to give the Hawks a 5-2 advantage.
Saint Joseph's would add to its lead in the bottom of the second of a two-out double steal. With Ruf at third, Harkness broke towards second, drawing a throw down. Harkness would slide in safe, while Ruf sprinted home ahead of the return throw to score to make it 6-2 in favor of the Hawks.
Earling would single home Alden in the bottom of the third to make it 7-2.
George Washington would get a RBI ground out by Matetic in the fifth to cut the SJU lead to 7-3, while Victoria Valos followed with a single to make it 7-4.
Mendez would enter for the Hawks with two outs in the fifth and retire four straight.
The Colonials would strike for a run in the top of the seventh, but freshman Emily Rogers would come in in relief and shut down the threat to pick up the save.
Lauterbach picked up the win to move to 3-2 on the year.
Saint Joseph's returns to action Wednesday when it hosts La Salle in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
