NEWARK, Del. - The Saint Joseph's softball team built up a big lead and then held on for a 9-8 win against the Delaware Blue Hens on Friday afternoon.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Grace Brown and Riley York led the Hawks with three hits each. Brown drove in three. York homered in the contest.
• Elyssa Hasapis and Julia Shearer had two hits apiece and had at least one RBI..
• Jenna Wagner tossed three innings, surrendering just one run in her season debut. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hawks got on the board early as with one out in the top of the first, Brown doubled and moved to third on a throwing error. Shearer came to the plate and lifted a sac fly to center, plating Brown for a 1-0 SJU lead.
• St. Joe's extended the lead in a big way with a five-run second inning with some two out magic. A sequence of singles and fielder's choices put Haley McMenamin on second and Morgan Lester on first. Sinkus came up and lined a single through the middle bringing home McMenamin to make it 2-0. 
• Next to the plate was Hasapis who lined a ball in front of the leftfielder for her first career RBI. Brown came up next and singled to the left of the circle. When the Blue Hens' pitcher hesitated on the throw to first, Hasapis never slowed down going around third and scored with Brown moving to second. Closing the scoring in the frame Shearer doubled to center, plating Brown for a 6-0 Hawks' advantage. 
• After Delaware scored in the bottom of the second, York smacked the first Saint Joseph's homer of the season to make it 7-1. In the top of the fourth, Brown struck again with her third hit of the contest, driving in a pair, giving SJU an eight-run lead.
• UD kept the game alive in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run homer and made the game uncomfortable with a four-run seventh, but the Hawks held on.

UP NEXT
After a day off on Saturday, St. Joe's is back down at Delaware on Sunday for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon.