The Saint Joseph's softball team split its doubleheader with Lehigh on Sunday as the Hawks took game two, 6-3, after the Mountain Hawks won game one, 6-3.
Looking to avenge a 6-3 loss in game one, the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Leading the inning off with a triple, junior Amanda Kulp scored SJU's first run off a wild pitch by Lehigh's Lainey Stephenson. Sophomore Molly Kapala would come around to score later in the inning of a RBI single by senior Lauren Reilly to give the host Hawks a 2-0 edge.
A two-run double by rookie Kirstin Cox put SJU ahead 4-0 in the second, but Lehigh got a run back in the top of the third on a solo home run by Brie Gerhardt against SJU starter Chelsea Evans.
Evans kept Lehigh off the board the next few innings, while her teammates gave her a pair of insurance runs in the fourth as a two-run double by Kapala scored Cox and sophomore Jancarla Herrera to make it 6-1.
Lehigh scored twice in the sixth and had the game-tying run come to the plate in the seventh, but Evans and the SJU defense never faltered as they secured the 6-3 win.
At the plate, Kapala went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Cox was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
In the circle, Evans picked up the complete-game win, allowing three runs on eight hits to improve to 2-1 on the year.
In the opener, Payton Alsobrooks single to center scores Rachel Timberman to make it 1-0 in top of the second.
Alsobrooks pushed Lehigh's lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth as she led off the inning with a solo home run to left field.
Mary-Hannah Smith added to the Mountain Hawks' lead later in the inning with a two-run double, while Emily Preble followed with a double down the left field line to push two more runs across and give Lehigh a 6-0 edge.
The Hawks rallied in the bottom half of the sixth to cut Lehigh's lead to just 6-3. Kapala got SJU on the board with a two-run double to left that scored Kulp and Cox to make it 6-2. An error by the shortstop on a throw down during an attempted steal allowed Kapala to score easily from third and make it 6-3.
Saint Joseph's would get a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but never truly threatened as Lehigh's Parker boyd closed the door for the Mountain Hawks.
For the game, went 1-for-4 with two runs batted in as SJU collected just five hits.
In the circle, Ashley Ventura tossed a complete game, allowing five earned runs on 13 hits, while striking out five as she moved to 5-11 on the season.
The Hawks (14-19) are back in action this weekend with a three-game series at home versus Dayton. The two teams open play Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon.
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