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

BRONX, N.Y. – La Salle softball had high hopes for their first trip to the A-10 Tournament under the direction of head coach Ron Shoemaker. Unfortunately, the stay was not as long as the Explorers would have liked. The Blue and Gold dropped a pair of games on the opening day and are eliminated from the double-elimination tournament.
 
The #6 Explorers hoped to make some noise as the tournaments lowest seed. They nearly did, giving #3 Saint Joseph's all they could handle in the first game of the day, before ultimately falling 7-4. The Blue and Gold led deep into the game, before the Hawks were able to put up a four-spot to take a 6-4 lead.
 
The Hawks got on the board early against the underdog Explorers. With one out, Melissa Ruf (3-3; 2B, 3R, RBI) reached on a walk. Sarah Yoos followed with a double to right center that split Megan Hodgson and Kristin Travers for a double to chase home Ruf for the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Explorer bats were on Hawk starter Niki Carillo from the outset. They knocked out hits in the first and second inning, while making several other hard outs. Carillo was not so lucky in the third.
 
Linnette Siedler (2-3; 2R) got things going with one out in the frame, slapping a hard grounder into left field for a single. Megan Hodgson (1-3; HR, 2RBI) wasted little time introducing herself to the A-10 Tournament spotlight. La Salle's all-time leader in home runs added one more to her tally, crushing a moon shot to right center.
 
The Blue and Gold added insurance in the fourth. Suzanne Swanicke (1-4) led off the inning with a single, while she was lifted for pinch running speedster Danielle Cullen. Kristin Travers (1-3) followed with a swinging bunt, narrowly missing out on an infield hit, but still getting the job done of moving Cullen into scoring position. With two away, senior Emily Moran (1-3; RBI) laced a liner down the left field line to plate Cullen and extend the lead to 3-1.
 
The Hawks got the run back in the home half of the frame, as defensive miscues came back to bite the young Explorers. Two errors put Hawk runners on second and third base with no outs, testing the mettle of Explorer starter Alicia Aughton. As has been the case all season, she rose to the occasion yet again, limiting the damage to just one run with the help of some dazzling defense on a 5-3-6 double play.
 
La Salle responded the next half inning, with Siedler again starting the rally. She knocked an infield single and moved to second on Hodgson's grounder to first. After Aughton popped out, Christina Bascara (2-4; RBI) again struck for the Explorers, stinging a hard grounder up the middle to chase Siedler home from second to reestablish the two run advantage.
 
Unfortunately for the Explorers, the next half inning was not as forgiving. Morgan Earling led off the frame reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Maria Ficca followed with a sharply hit grounder, which was too hot for Hagarty to handle and just like that the Hawks were in business again.
 
Unlike the previous frame, Aughton (L, 11-11) was unable to wiggle her way out of the jam. Isabella Picard sacrificed the runners to second and third. Ruf singled on a softly hit flare to right to score one run. After Yoos was intentionally walked to set up the force play at home, Brandi Harkness and Nicole Palase followed with consecutive singles to chase Aughton. The junior went 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and six runs (three earned), while fanning two.
 
Mary Cate Scott came on in relief and shut down the Hawks, retiring two of three batters faced, while allowing one inherited runner to score on a groundout. Unfortunately, the damage was done, as a two run advantage turned into a two run deficit.
 
The resilient Explorers didn't quit despite the drastic change in circumstances. Travers led off the sixth with a single, while consecutive walks from Hagarty and pinch hitter Marisa Kinneer loaded the bags for Hodgson. The senior laced hard grounder, but right at second base for the final out and relief pitcher Anna Lauterbach (W, 5-2) was able to escape the jam.
 
The Hawks added an insurance run in the home half of the inning, making the comeback road for the Blue and Gold even more difficult. Bascara reached on a one out single in the seventh, but a sharply hit ball to first by Swanicke turned into a double play to end the emotional see-saw contest.
 
Falling into the loser's bracket, the Explorers had a quick turnaround, as they had to face Dayton in an elimination game just minutes after the difficult loss to Saint Joseph's. The emotional drain of coming up just short against their Big 5 rival was too much to bear, as the Explorers fell to Dayton 9-1 in five innings.
 
The Flyers jumped on the board early, as Gabrielle Snyder lined a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the second. After a single Dana Trotta, Jordan Jennings sacrificed her to second base. Head coach Ron Shoemaker lifted Mary Cate Scott (L, 7-13) in favor of Aughton. She faced only two batters, but both reached on a walk and error to plate a second run.
 
Freshman Val Buehler came on and was able to stymie the Flyers in the second, but allowed both inherited runners to score. The Flyers tacked on three more in the following inning on a homer by Jennings.
 
Dayton starter Kayla English (W, 16-13) was on her game and would not allow the Explorers to get any momentum going. She went the distance, allowing just two hits and one run, while striking out three.
 
Despite the hefty deficit, the Explorers never say die attitude never wavered. Facing their final out, senior Danielle Cullen (1-1; HR) launched her first career home run in her final at-bat as an Explorer.
 
The loss concludes the Explorers season, with the team finishing with an 18-24 mark. Despite the early exit the future looks extremely bright for the Blue and Gold.