Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Game 1 Box (PDF) | Game 2 Box (PDF)

* Denotes two-game totals

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – La Salle softball powered their way to a 2-0 start to the conference season on Sunday afternoon at West Campus Field; sweeping a double-header against St. Bonaventure with an 8-1 victory in Game 1 and a 9-7 victory in Game 2. The Explorers pounded out 18 hits, including six home runs and three doubles, combined between the two games.
 
"Going 2-0 to begin the conference season is the ultimate thing," head coach Ron Shoemaker said. "There are no at-large bids [for the NCAA Tournament] from our conference, so we have to make the conference tournament to get up there and compete."
 
The Explorers (8-8; 2-0) continued the momentum they were building prior to the start of the conference season. With the two victories on Sunday, the Explorers have now won seven of their last eight contests.
 
"We knew the more wins we got going into the A-10 season would give us momentum against the Bonnies, and now that we took two against Bonnies we have streaks going for the conference season also," said senior second baseman Emily Moran postgame.
 
Junior pitcher Alicia Aughton (W, 6-3) continued her brilliance in the pitching circle for the Explorers. She limited the Bonnies to one run on five hits, while whiffing three in going the distance for her fifth straight victory. The seven-inning gem lowered her earned run average to 2.30 for the season.
 
"She is just doing such a phenomenal job pitching for us," Shoemaker remarked.
 
Moran (2-for-5; 2 HR)* had a day to remember in the final home opener of her Explorer career. She belted solo-shots in both contests for her first two home runs of the season.
 
"Hitting two in one day is just something else," Moran said. "It was just an incredible feeling, it was money off the bat and I saw it going over the fence and that's when I knew the dream was coming alive."
 
Junior first baseman Erica Reis (3-for-5; HR, 5RBI)* dealt the Bonnies the big blow in Game 1. She hammered a two-run bomb to centerfield to break the game open. The round-tripper was the first of her Explorer career.
 
Senior centerfielder Megan Hodgson (3-for-5; 2B, HR, 4RBI) belted her team leading sixth homer of the season in Game 2, while Aughton (3-for-5; 2B HR, RBI)* and freshman third baseman Christina Bascara (3-for-7; 2B, HR, 2RBI)* both laced their first long-balls of the season, for Bascara the first of her career.
 
"Our hitting has just been spot on," Shoemaker said. "We scored 17 runs in the two games and if a couple other line drives found holes we would have been over 20, we're hitting the ball."
 
The Bonnies (3-18; 0-2 A-10) broke the ice on the scoreboard first in Game 1, scratching a run across in the top of the second on an Emily Belfield single with the bases loaded. The Explorers answered with a run in the bottom of the frame when Reis laced a groundball that squeaked under the glove of Bonnies third baseman Grace Rooney.
 
The Explorers tacked on in the bottom of the third when Hodgson collected an RBI on a groundout, plating Michelle Hagarty.
 
The Blue and Gold broke the game open in the fourth with long-ball. Reis drilled her towering shot to center after Aughton walked to begin the frame. Moran followed with her one-out shot to right center to push the Explorer lead to 4-1.
 
The Explorers would tack on three more in the fifth to cap the scoring.
 
Sophomore Mary Cate Scott (W, 2-5) got the nod to toe the rubber in Game 2. She battled through seven grinding inning for the complete game victory, surrendering six earned runs, while fanning four batters in the 9-7 victory.
 
In Game 2, it was the Explorers that jumped out to the early lead on a RBI double from Bascara in the bottom of the first.
 
The Bonnies responded with a three spot in the top of the second. With two runners on and two outs, Emily Belfield again came through with the big base knock, driving a three-run home run to centerfield to snatch a 3-1 lead.
 
The Explorers answered with a run to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the frame on the solo blast from Aughton. However, St. Bonaventure got the run back in the top half of the third.
 
Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the third, the Explorers again used the long-ball to take control of the contest. The Blue and Gold got their first two runners on for Hodgson, who laced a line drive over the left field fence to push La Salle ahead 5-4. Reis added an RBI single later in the inning to add to the lead.
 
The Explorers would tack on two more in the fourth to extend the advantage to 8-4. The big blow was the solo-homer by Moran to leadoff the frame.
 
The Blue and Gold will look to keep the momentum going this coming Wednesday, as they make the short trip to University City to take on Big 5 rival Penn. First pitch of the twi-night double-header is scheduled for 4:00 PM.