May 8, 2009

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - Saint Louis scored a run in the first inning, but Saint Joseph's rallied for three runs in the third and held for a 3-1 win in the Atlantic 10 Softball Championship on Friday afternoon at Bahoshy Field in Bronx, N.Y. It is the second straight year that the Hawks (26-19) have eliminated the Billikens (22-33) from the league championship.

The Bills raced out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kristin Nicoletti hit a leadoff single through the right side and quickly stole second base. Then Rachel Heet knocked a doubled down the left-field line to plate Nicoletti for the first run of the game.

The lead didn't last long though as Saint Joseph's went up by two in the top of the third. Beka Shumock reached on an infield error and went to second on a passed ball. Sue Lebow's sacrifice bunt moved Shumock to third before Bernadette Moran plated the Hawks' first run with an infield single. Laura Cardone followed with a flare that dropped behind third base for a single. Dana Bieniek drove home the second run with a single up the middle and Monica Aguilar's sacrifice fly to center field brought in SJU's third run.

Saint Louis had its chances, putting a runner on in the second through sixth innings, but was unable to push a run across after the following batters went down in order. Caitlin Trevillyan was hit by a pitch with one out in the second and Heet had a one-out single in the third. Kerri Dockins drew a one-out walk in the fourth, Nicoletti singled up the middle with one out in the fifth and Erin Cejka hit a leadoff single up the middle in the sixth. In all, the Bills stranded six runners to the Hawks' four.

Billiken starter Stacy Gillette shut down the Hawks' offense in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out two in the final three innings. Nicoletti and Heet paced the SLU offense with two hits apiece while Cejka posted SLU's only other hit. Heet collected the team's lone RBI. With two stolen bases in the game, Nicoletti brought her career total to 71, tying the SLU standard for career stolen bases in just two seasons.