FAIRFAX, Va. – Saint Joseph's graduate student Taylor Marinelli delivered when her team needed her the most as the starting third baseman connected on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to lift the third seeded Hawks past sixth seed Massachusetts, 3-2, on the opening day of the 2022 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship at George Mason Softball Complex.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's advances to face second seed Fordham in the main draw of the A-10 bracket on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

Photo Gallery

How It Happened
• The Minutewomen took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third as Emily Whalen scored from third on a RBI single by Bella Pantoja.
• Grace Cadden extended Massachusetts' lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth on a solo home run. 
• Saint Joseph's rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth as Kayla Tauber and Carly Rybinski scored on a single up the middle by Jordan Hinkle.
• With runners on the corners and two outs in the top of the seventh, Saint Joseph's starting pitcher Emily Siler worked out of a jam as she induced a groundout to end the threat.
• Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Marinelli drilled a solo home run over the right field wall to win it for the Hawks.

Inside The Boxscore
• Siler improved to 13-11 as she earned the complete-game victory, allowing one earned run on five hits.
• Marinelli went 1-for-3, connecting on her third home run of the season.
• Hinkle was 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Follow the Saint Joseph's softball team on Instagram and Twitter and like the Hawks on Facebook.