May 6, 2009

Game 1 Highlights  | Game 2 Highlights  | Game 3 Highlights 

BRONX, N.Y. - Saint Louis and Fordham opened with early victories, while Saint Joseph's outlasted a late St. Bonaventure rally in the final game of the day to advance to day two of the 2009 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship at Fordham University's Bahoshy Field.

Game 1 - Fordham 5, Saint Joseph's 3

In the first game of the day, the Rams fell behind Saint Joseph's quickly as the Hawks picked up two in the first and one in the second but the home team came back to advance in the winner's bracket, tying the game with a three-run fourth and then taking the lead for good with a pair in the fifth, for a 5-3 victory.

With the win, fourth-seeded Fordham goes to 37-20 on the year and advances to face top-seeded Massachusetts on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Saint Joseph's got on the board early as Laura Cardone walked to open the game and stole second. One out later, Monica Aguilar doubled to score Cardone and Aguilar would come around later in the inning on a Brooke Darreff single.

The Hawks stretched the lead to 3-0 on a Cardone run-scoring single in the second before Fordham knotted the contest with a three-run fourth. Lindsey Kay Bright led off the Rams' fourth with an infield single and took second on a wild pitch. One out later, Samantha Pellechio singled to deliver Bright with Pellechio taking second on the throw to the plate. A ground out by Erin Fisher moved pinch runner Jessica Richards to third where she scored on a Jocelyn Dearborn double. Dearborn would come in later in the inning on a Beckah Wiggins single.

The Hawks threatened in the top of the fifth, putting two on with one out but Fordham pitcher Jen Mineau got Darreff to pop out and Erika Rosenwinkel to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Fordham took the lead for good in the home half of the fifth as pinch hitter Megan Waldron led off with a double with Sarah Campbell coming on to pinch run. One out later Bright reached on a bunt single, moving Campbell to third. After Bright stole second, Campbell was thrown out at the plate on a Mary Beth Puccio ground ball to third. After Puccio stole second to put runners on second and third, Dearborn came through with an infield single to score both runners and give the Rams a 5-3 lead.

Mineau then set down the side in order over the last two innings, striking out three of the six batters to bring her game total to eight, to pick up the win and go to 18-11 on the year.

Dearborn led the Rams at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI while Wiggins and Bright each also collected a pair of hits.

For Saint Joseph's, Aguilar was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and an RBI.

Game 2 - Saint Louis 10, St. Bonaventure 0 (6 innings)

In game two, second-seeded Saint Louis used a five-run third and a four-run sixth to shutout sixth-seeded St. Bonaventure, 10-0, in six innings, behind one-hit pitching from Kelcie Matesa.

The Billikens got on the board in the second when Erin Cejka opened the frame with a double and pinch runner Liz Jones scored later in the inning on a Kelly Flanagan sacrifice fly.

Saint Louis took a commanding 6-0 lead with a five-run third, highlighted by Katie Johns' two-run home run, her third of the year. With one out, Rachel O'Connell walked and Kristin Nicoletti singled to put runners on first and second. Rachel Heet followed with a double to plate O'Connell and Nicoletti came around on a Nicki Jost fielder's choice with Heet also scoring on the play on a throwing error. One out later, Johns connected on the home run to put the Billikins up, 6-0,

The game would stay 6-0 until the sixth when Johns was hit by a pitch and, one out later, Brittany Schmidt came on to pinch run for her. Rachel Faletto reached on a bunt single to put two on and Kerri Dockins brought Schmidt in with a single. Caitlin Trevillyan then hit her first home run of the year to end the game via the run rule at 10-0.

Matesa allowed just two base runners in the game, a single from Kathryn Pazda in the second and a walk to Andrea Swanger in the fourth. She struck out six and improves to 8-13 on the year.

Johns and Trevillyan paced the Saint Louis attack with their home runs.

Saint Louis improves to 22-31 on the year and will face second-seeded Charlotte on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.

Game 3 - Saint Joseph's 10, St. Bonaventure 8

In the final game of the day, fifth-seeded Saint Joseph's jetted out to a 6-0 lead before holding off a late St. Bonaventure rally to advance to day two with a 10-8 win.

Saint Joseph's jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the second inning, scoring two runs in the first and four times in the second. After a two-run single by Brooke Darreff in the first, the Hawks received an RBI-single by Dana Bienick and an RBI-double by Monica Aguilar to lead 4-0. Erika Rosenwinkel then connected for a two-run single to center to put Saint Joseph's up six.

St. Bonaventure cut that lead in half with a three-run outburst in the top of the third. Amanda Kotz opened the frame with a double, an eventually scored on an infield single by Andrea Swanger. After a walk and a wild pitch, Ashley Nowak knocked in both runners with a single to center.

The Hawks came right back, scoring three runs of their own to take a 9-3 lead, highlighted by a two-run double from Bieniek.

After Saint Joseph's tacked on another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Bieniek, St. Bonaventure began to chip away at the Hawks' lead with three runs in the top of the sixth, closing within a 10-6 score. Ashley Kotz opened the sixth with a double, moved to third on a ground out, and scored on an infield single by Stephanie Narde. After another single and a wild pitch, pinch-hitter Maureen Wells singled up the middle, scoring both Narde and Amanda Kotz.

The Bonnies continued the comeback trail in the seventh, picking up a run on a two-out infield single by Narde, but the throw to first went errant, allowing a second run to score, making it a 10-8 ball game with the tying run coming to the plate. Saint Joseph's reliever Lauren Pembleton though was able to strike out Amanda Kotz looking to end the game in favor of the Hawks.

Erin Gallagher (8-6) was credited with the win in relief of starter Dani Gonzalez, who went the first three innings. Gallagher threw 2.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits.

At the plate, Bieniek was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and four RBI, while Aguilar was 3-for-3 with a double. Darreff and Rosenwinkel also had two RBI each.

For St. Bonaventure, Erin Nargi (4-12) took the loss, allowing nine runs, five earned, on 10 hits with four strikeouts. At the plate, Ashley and Amanda Kotz each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Nowak, Narde and Wells each had a pair of RBI.

Saint Joseph's (24-19) now advances to the elimination game on Thursday at 5:00 PM, when they meet the lowest seeded loser of the two early games.