WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Saint Joseph's softball team matched its season-high with 12 runs on Sunday as the Hawks topped George Washington, 12-1, in five innings at the GW Softball Field.
After poor weather delayed the start of the series finale, the Hawks (20-23-1, 8-11-1 Atlantic 10) looked to take control and gain the better of the Colonials from the start.
Behind three hits and a pair of GW errors, SJU opened the game with four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Junior Kaylyn Zierke got the Hawks started with a two-run double that score Raelynn Genovese and Amanda Kulp.
Following a pop up, senior Cyndi Wilson drove Zierke home on an RBI single. After a stolen base and a fielding error by GW on a ball hit by Madeline Brunck, Wilson would plate the fourth run of the inning on a passed ball.
George Washington got a run back in the bottom half of the innings on an RBI double. That would be all the Hawks' rookie starter Ashley Ventura would give up from there as she set down the next 12 Colonial batters in order.
With Ventura dominating in the circle, her teammates took over at the plate.
Zierke upped SJU's lead with an RBI single in the third that scored senior Sarah Yoos to make it 5-1.
The Hawks blew the game open in the fourth as they scored seven runs on five hits and took advantage of a pair of GW errors.
Taryn Grober scored the first run on a misplayed ball by the Colonials' catcher off the bat of Genovese. Kulp followed with an RBI single that scored Kerrie Kortmann, while Yoos doubled to center to score Genovese and Kulp to make it 9-1.
Wilson delivered the biggest blow of the fourth though, smacking her sixth home run of the year over the centerfield wall that plated Yoos and pinch runner Lauren Reilly to push the lead to 12-1.
The Colonials wouldn't have an answer from there as Ventura picked up three of her game-high seven strike outs in the final two innings to close out the game. With the win, Ventura moves to 11-7 on the year.
At the plate, Zierke went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Wilson was 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
Saint Joseph's caps the regular season this Saturday and Sunday at home versus St. Bonaventure.
