WILMINGTON, N.C. - The Saint Joseph's softball team split its final two games of the Landfall Park Hampton Inns Invitational on Saturday as the Hawks opened with an 8-4 win over UMBC in the morning, but fell to Georgetown, 5-1, in the afternoon.
Facing UMBC for the second consecutive day, Saint Joseph's jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as shortstop Nicole Palase and Second baseman Sarah Yoos each picked up a RBI. Palase laced a one-out double to score Kerrie Kortmann from third, while a sacrifice fly by Yoos would score Palase two batters later.
The Retrievers scratched a run across in the bottom of the first, but junior pitcher Anna Lauterbach held UMBC off the board the next two innings, keeping SJU's lead at 2-1.
Saint Joseph's pushed its lead to 6-1 in the top of the fourth as it struck for four runs, Brandi Harkness picked up her fifth RBI of the season with a single that scored Ashley Alden. After a walk to catcher Stephanie Chaiser, Jackie Gheraldi singled to right field, scoring Yoos to make it 4-1. Madeline Brunck followed up with a single to center, scoring pinch-runners Traneya White and Shannon Puthe to up SJU's lead to five.
UMBC chased Lauterbach one out into the fourth as they Retrievers tallied three runs to make it 6-4. Sophomore Niki Carillo entered and promptly squashed UMBC's threat, getting the final two outs via strikeout.
Harkness would push SJU's lead to 7-4 in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly that scored Ashley Alden, while Brunck scored the eighth run in the top of the sixth on a RBI triple by Palase.
Carillo would scatter three hits in the final three innings to keep UMBC off the board and preserve the win.
For the game, Palase, Ashley Alden and Brunck each collected two hits, with Brunck scoring twice along with Alden and Palase once. Carillo picked up the win in relief after allowing just four hits over 3.2 innings while striking out four. Lauterbach struck out a pair in 3.1 innings, but didn't receive a decision.
In the nightcap, Georgetown (4-3) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth as the Hoyas took advantage of a SJU fielding error to strike for three unearned runs off SJU freshman pitcher Madison Clarke.
Yoos got the Hawks on the board in the top of the sixth with her first home run of the season, a solo shot to left center to cut the Hoyas' lead to 3-1.
Unfortunately for Saint Joseph's, would add two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to preserve the win.
In the circle, Clarke was the hard-luck loser, falling to 1-1 on the year after allowing two earned runs over six innings, while striking out four. At the plate, Yoos collected two of the Hawks' three hits to finish 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI. As a team, Saint Joseph's finished its season opening tournament with a 2-1 record and had two games canceled due to weather.
Saint Joseph's returns to action this coming Friday at the NC State Hyatt Place Challenge. The Hawks face North Dakota State in the opening game at 11:15 a.m.
