CONWAY, S.C. - Saint Joseph's sophomore Caela Abadie went 4-for-6 with three home runs and eight runs batted in to lead the Hawks' softball team to wins over Georgetown and Coastal Carolina on the second day of the Chanticleer Showdown.
The Hawks (5-4), who opened the day with a 7-3 victory over the Hoyas and followed with an 11-6 win over the Chanticleers, cap play at the Chanticleer Showdown on Sunday versus Pittsburgh at 9:30 a.m.
Versus Georgetown, Saint Joseph's offense took control quickly as the Hawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings.
A three-run home run by Abadie in the bottom of the first gave SJU a 3-0 edge, while she followed in the second with a two-run double. Abadie would come in to score to make it 6-0 on an RBI single by Taryn Grober.
Rookie Kirstin Cox made it 7-0 in the third as she scored on a throwing error off a ball sharply hit by Molly Kapala.
In the circle, Ashley Ventura allowed two hits over the opening five innings, but Georgetown tallied a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to make it 7-3. Despite the three runs, Ventura was able to retire the Hoyas in the seventh to pick up the complete-game victory (1-3) , allowing three runs on eight hits, while striking out four.
At the plate, Abadie was 2-for-2 with five RBIs and two runs scored, while Grober was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
In the nightcap, an 11-run fourth inning by SJU proved too much for Coastal Carolina to overcome.
The Chanticleers jumped out to a 2-0 edge with a run in the first and the third, but the Hawks responded in a big way in the fourth.
Abadie tied the game up with a two-run home run that scored Sarah Ostaszewski to start the offensive outbreak with one out.
After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, SJU's Stacey Mayer drew a walk and the Hawks followed with seven-straight hits.
Raelynn Genovese and Lauren Reilly each singled to load the bases, as Cox scored Mayer and Genovese with a two-run single to make it 4-2.
With two runners on Kapala delivered a three-run home run to left center to push the advantage to 7-2.
Having chased the Chanticleers' starter, Amanda Kulp singled and stole second before Ostaszewski homered to center making it 9-2.
A solo home run by Abadie was followed by a Genovese walk and an RBI double by Mayer to give the visiting Hawks a nine-run advantage.
Coastal Carolina rallied for three runs in the fifth to avoid the run-rule and scored once in the sixth, but the damage done in the fourth was too much to overcome.
In the circle, Ashley Stokes improved to 2-0 on the year as she allowed two runs on five hits over five innings and struck out two. Madison Clarke worked the final two innings, striking out two.
Abadie finished game two going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored with Cox finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
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