SAN DIEGO, Calif. - A seven-run second inning lifted the Saint Joseph's softball team to a 7-2 victory over Utah Valley in the second day of the San Diego Classic on Saturday. The Hawks (6-7) followed with a 3-1 victory over San Diego late Saturday.
Utah Valley opened the game scoring an unearned run in the top of the first against SJU starter Ashley Ventura to take a 1-0 lead.
Saint Joseph's bounced back though in the second innings as it scored seven runs on six hits and took advantage of a pair of walks.
After Taryn Grober and Stacey Mayer led off the inning with a pair of walks, Ventura followed through with a RBI single to score Grober and make it 1-1. Following an out and single by Madeline Brunck, Raelynn Genovese singled up the middle to score Mayer and give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
Coming to the plate with the bases loaded, junior Kaylyn Zierke singled up the middle to score Ventura and Brunck to extend the lead to 4-1.
Following a pitching change, Brandi Harkness drilled a two-run triple to push the score to 6-1, while Harkness came around to score in the next at-bat as classmate Sarah Yoos followed with an RBI single to make it 7-1.
Utah Valley scored a run in the top of the fourth, and chased Ventura with a runner at first with only one out as the Hawks remained ahead 7-2.
Senior Anna Lauterbach, making her ninth relief appearance of the season, came in and got out of trouble, earning a double play to end the threat.
Lauterbach would scatter a hit and a walk over the final three innings to earn the win for SJU.
In the nightcap, the Aztecs struck for a run in the top of the first, but that would be all sophomore pitcher Madison Clarke would surrender for the game.
Down 1-0 in the fourth, SJU tied the score on a RBI double by Hannah Dionne that scored Sarah Yoos.
An inning later, the San Dimas, California, native Harkness struck for a two-run home run over the left field wall as Genovese came in to score as well to make it 3-1.
Clarke worked out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and set San Diego State down in order in the seventh to earn the complete game win, allowing just one run on seven hits, while striking out three to improve to 3-2 on the year.
