HARRISONBURG, Va. - Saint Joseph's senior Brandi Harkness and junior Kaylyn Zierke was named to the JMU Dukes Invitational All-Tournament Team as the Hawks' softball team capped weekend play at the tournament with a 6-2 win over Robert Morris and a hard-fought 2-1 loss to #10 James Madison on Sunday.
The Hawks (4-6) opened the day with a strong showing versus Robert Morris, tallying a run in both the first and second innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Madeline Brunck scored the first run of the day on a RBI double off the bat of Brandi Harkness, while Hannah Dionne led off the second with a solo home run.
Robert Morris got a run back in the fourth against SJU's Madison Clarke, but the SJU starter got out of the inning and would exact revenge at the plate in the fifth.
After Kerrie Kortmann and Taryn Grober scored on a wild pitch and throwing error in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1, Clarke drilled a RBI single up the middle to score Hannah Dionne to extend the edge to 5-1.
Zierke added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Harkness, while senior Anna Lauterbach picked up her second save on the year, going the final three innings, allowing one unearned run or three hits, while striking out five.
Clarke improved to 2-2 on the season with the win, striking out three over four innings of work. At the plate, Harkness went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Facing the nationally ranked Dukes, Saint Joseph's stood toe-to-toe with the hosts.
After a scoreless opening two innings, the Hawks struck first as Brunck delivered a solo home run to put the Hawks up 1-0 in the top of the third.
James Madison got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as the Dukes struck for a pair of runs against SJU starter Ashley Ventura.
The rookie responded though as Ventura held James Madison to just one hit after the fourth, allowing the Hawks a chance to answer back.
Unfortunately though, Saint Joseph's couldn't get the tying run around to score.
For the game, Raelynn Genovese went 2-for-3, while Brunck and Grober picked up the other hits for SJU.
In the circle, Ventura was the hard-luck loser despite throwing a stellar six innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, while striking out two.
Saint Joseph's returns to action this Friday when the Hawks face Grand Canyon in the opening day of the San Diego Classic at 5 p.m.
