HARRISONBURG, Va. - The Saint Joseph's softball team split its two games on day two of the JMU Dukes Invitational on Saturday. The Hawks opened the day with an 11-0 win over Toledo in the morning, but fell to Binghamton, 8-3, in an evening matchup.
In the opener, the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as Sarah Yoos drilled a two-run home run following a leadoff walk by Brandi Harkness.
A two-run single by Harkness with the bases loaded extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the third as Madeline Brunck and Raelynn Genovese came in to score.
Cyndi Wilson led off a four-run fourth with her second home run in as many days, while Zierke picked up an RBI on a single that scored Brunck.
Harkness followed later in the inning with a three-run homer to push the lead to 9-0.
Zierke added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fifth on her team-leading fourth home run as Geneovese also came in to score.
In the circle, sophomore Madison Clarke was dominant, scattering three hits over five innings, while striking out three in the victory to improve to 1-2 on the year.
In the nightcap, Saint Joseph's jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Harkness and Taryn Grober each picked up RBI doubles.
The lead was short lived though as Binghamton tallied six runs on five hits and took advantage of two Hawk errors in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2.
The Bearcats added to their lead as a two-run home run made it 8-2 in the bottom of the second, chasing SJU starting pitcher Ashley Ventura.
Kaylyn Zierke would add a run on for SJU on a throwing error in the third, but that would be it for the Hawks as they were held scoreless over the final four innings.
Grober finished the game 3-for-4, while Yoos, Zierke and Genovese each picked up two hits a piece.
In the circle, Ventura fell to 2-3 after going just 1.2 innings. Senior Anna Lauterbach scattered two hits, while striking out five over the final 4.1 innings.
Saint Joseph's caps play at the JMU Dukes Invitational with a pair of games on Sunday starting at noon versus Robert Morris.
