May 11, 2011

Game 2 Box Score in PDF Format

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Third-seeded Saint Joseph's (29-14) defeated sixth-seeded Dayton (22-25) 6-3 in game two of the 2011 Atlantic 10 Conference Softball Championships. The Hawks pounded out 11 hits on Wednesday afternoon led by Monica Aguilar, Dana Bieniek and Rochelle Christman, who went a combined 7-for-9 with three RBI and three runs scored.

"I thought we came out ready to go, I thought our bats have kept us in a lot of games this year," said Saint Joseph's head coach Terri Adams. "I think we jumped out and then got a little bit complacent. Gallagher ran out of a little bit of gas later in the game, but every time there was a little action on their side, we managed to come back and show some life and come back and score another run to give us a little more breathing room."

Aguilar was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, while Bieniek, Christman and Dana Parks all registered two hits in the victory. Bieniek led all players on the afternoon with two RBI.

"Bernadette Moran, Monica Aguilar and Dana Bieniek just were unbelievable with runners in scoring position to set the table," added Adams. "Dana Parks does her normal thing, gets on base, gets us going; and I thought Taryn Ashway came in at the end and solidified a good game for us."

Erin Gallagher (22-8) picked-up the win in the circle for the Hawks as the junior right hander went 6.0 innings allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits, while issuing three walks and striking out six.

Dayton registered hits from five different players in the loss, while Courtney Kutsulis and Kasi Vazquez each drove in a run. Alysha Isaacson (12-12) suffered the loss in the circle for the Flyer despite allowing just one earned run over 3.1 innings.

Both Flyer errors came back to haunt Dayton as only two of the six runs scored by the Hawks in game two were earned.

Saint Joseph's wasted very little time cracking the scoreboard in the second game plating three runs in the bottom of the first to grab an early 3-0 lead.

Parks led things off with an infield single to second and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Laura Cardone. A fielding error by Flyer first baseman Lauren Nacke on a groundball by Bernadette Moran plated Parks for the first run of the game. After Moran was retired attempting to steal second, the Hawks put together three straight two-out hits including an RBI single by Bieniek and a run scoring single through the left side off the bat of Christman to build a three-run advantage.

Gallagher retired the first eight batters that she faced before UD's Alicia Nichols beat out an infield single to short for the first Flyer hit of the afternoon. A pair of nice defensive plays by Saint Joseph's in the top of the fourth kept Dayton off the scoreboard. Parks made a nice over the head grab in center on a sharp liner off the bat of Kathleen Maloof to open the inning. Following a single by Nacke, Morgan and Bieniek turned an inning ending double play for the Hawks to keep SJU's lead at 3-0.

The Hawks added a run in the fourth to increase their lead to 4-0. Christman opened the inning recording her second hit of the game lacing a single back up the middle. She would later score on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Alaina Loguidice.

The fourth run of the game ended the afternoon for Isaacson who went 3.1 innings and gave-up seven hits but only one of the four runs allowed were earned. The freshman lefthander struck out two and did not allow a walk.

Sarah Wedel entered for the Flyers and struck out the next two batters that she faced to keep the deficit at four. Wedel would remain in the circle the rest of the way out allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits in 2.2 innings. She did not walk a batter and struck out three.

Dayton generated a run in the fifth courtesy of a Hawks fielding error to make the score 4-1. Kutsulis led off the inning reaching on a three-base fielding error in right and scored two batters later on an RBI groundout to short by Vazquez.

Saint Joseph's got the run back in the bottom of the fifth taking advantage of the second Flyer error of the game to push its lead back to four. Morgan reached on a fielding error at second, advanced to third on a single up the middle by Aguilar and scored a batter later on a single to right field by Bieniek.

The Flyers would not go quietly countering with two runs in the top of the sixth to cut Saint Joseph's lead to 5-3. Maloof led off the inning with a double to left center and later scored on a wild pitch from Gallagher. Nacke drew a walk in her at-bat in the sixth and crossed the plate for the Flyers' third run of the afternoon on an RBI single up the middle by Kutsulis.

The Hawks plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to increase their lead to 6-3. Morgan sent a two-out RBI single to center scoring Cardone from second, who reached on a fielder's choice and moved into scoring position after stealing second.

Gallagher gave way to Taryn Ashway in the seventh as the sophomore right hander set the Flyers down in order to pick-up her first save of the season.

With the loss, Dayton must now turn-around and play in game three at 6:00 p.m., against fourth-seeded Temple in a loser's bracket game. Saint Joseph's advances to the winner's bracket and will face second-seeded Massachusetts at 3:30 p.m., on Thursday, May 12.

--www.atlantic10.com--