PHILADELPHIA- The La Salle softball team came up just short in both halves of a doubleheader against Saint Joseph's falling 5-3, 6-4 with both games going eight innings.
 
The Hawks (22-18, 7-11 A-10) scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning in both game one and two to sweep the doubleheader.
 
Senior Alicia Aughton knocked in three RBI on the day to help power the Explorers offense. Junior Mary Cate Scott threw 9.0 innings in relief between the two games allowing only one earned run while recording three strikeouts.
 
Game one saw both teams grab three runs in the first inning before the bats went quiet for both teams. La Salle (13-17, 9-8 A-10) quickly erased a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the first thanks to three hits. Sophomore Christina Bascara started the two out rally with a single to center field before sophomore Suzanne Swanicke followed that up with a walk. Freshman Valerie Pineiro singled through the right side scoring Bascara from second and allowing Swanicke to advance to third. Aughton kept things going with a double to right field allowing both runners to score and notching things up at 3-3.
 
Both teams failed to score for the next six innings forcing the game into extra innings. The Hawks threatened in the top of the seventh having the bases loaded with only one out, however, Scott was able to force a groundout to send things to extras.
 
St. Joes used two hits and a pair of errors to grab two runs and take a 5-3 lead before retiring the Explorers in order in the bottom half of the eighth to grab game one. Swanicke reached base three times with a pair of walks and a single.
 
Game two saw La Salle jump out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Explorers had the bases loaded with one out when senior Linnette Siedler scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. The Haws were able to record the next two outs to strand two runners and limit the damage done by the Explorers.
 
SJU scored four runs in the top of the third to make it 4-1, the La Salle would battle back to ultimately force extra innings.
 
La Salle grabbed a pair of runs in the fifth. Sophomore Michelle Hagarty led off the inning with a solo homer to left field to cut the lead to 4-2. Aughton would later drive home the second run of the inning on a fielder's choice as Bascara would score after reaching base due to getting hit by a pitch.
 
Behind just one run at 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning the Explorers would tie up the game when Bascara singled through the right side of the infield to bring home senior Kendra Heyer who had reached base on a fielder's choice.
 
Again the Hawks would score a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning to take home the victory. They used three hits to start off the inning to score the pair of runs and complete the sweep.
 
Freshman McKenzie Peace threw 7.0 innings allowing only two earned runs while recording eight strikeouts in the win. Hagarty recorded two hits in the loss.
 
La Salle returns to action on Saturday as they host Dayton in a doubleheader. The Explorers will be celebrating senior day prior to the doubleheader on Saturday to honor the programs seniors.