MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's softball team won its fourth game in a row on Wednesday, topping Villanova by a 3-1 score at the SJU Softball Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• It was a pitcher's duel early, as SJU's Jules Scogna and VU's Maranda Runco traded zeroes until the bottom of the fourth.  That's when Hailey Malito ripped a one-out triple and Riley York followed with a sacrifice fly to bring her home and put the Hawks on top, 1-0.
 
• Saint Joseph's (12-12) expanded its lead in the fifth.  Sierra Fretz started things off with a one-out single before making way for pinch runner Jayda Shehadi, who proceeded to steal second base.  Morgan Lester followed with a fielder's choice ground ball; the throw to third hit Shehadi in the back, allowing Lester to move up to second and give the Hawks two runners in scoring position.
 
• Two batters later, Kayla Tauber beat out an infield single to score Shehadi from third; Lester was hot on her heels and crossed the plate as well when the Wildcat defense failed to throw home, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead.
 
• Villanova (12-14) got on the board in the sixth through a solo home run off the bat of Runco, but Marla Freiwald sent the Wildcats down in order in the seventh, fielding the final ground ball herself, to secure the win.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Scogna tossed shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out three, to get the win.  Runco took the loss, allowing three runs – two of them earned – on four hits in five innings.  Freiwald allowed a run on two hits while fanning two in three innings to pick up her fourth save.
 
• Tauber was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in, while Fretz and Malito added hits on the day.
 
• The win is the Hawks' first over the Wildcats in exactly 12 years; Saint Joseph's topped Villanova, 8-5, at the SJU Softball Field on March 19, 2013.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks head to Loyola Chicago for a three-game series this weekend; the teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday before a single game on Sunday.