PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle softball team (18-22, 6-11 A-10) was swept in an Atlantic 10 doubleheader with Saint Joseph's (20-22, 11-5 A-10) at West Campus Field on Thursday afternoon.
 
Saint Joseph's 9, La Salle 0
The Hawks posted five runs in the top of the 1^st inning against La Salle starter Marlo Roadcap (L, 8-10), who was pulled after recording just two outs in favor of McKenzie Peace. Saint Joseph's had five hits in the opening frame, capped by a two-run homer from Taryn Grober.
 
Peace held SJU scoreless until Kaylyn Zierke's two-run homer in the 6^th inning. Molly Kapala made it 9-0 with another two-run home run before Roadcap came back in to get the final two outs.
 
Saint Joseph's starter Ashley Ventura (W, 12-10) didn't allow a hit in the six-inning game, striking out two compared to one walk.
 
Saint Joseph's 1, La Salle 0
Reilly Gearhart (L, 5-9) kept the Explorers in the game with one of her best starts of the season, limiting the Hawks to just one run in a complete-game effort. The righty tossed six shutout innings after allowing a run in the top of the 1^st inning, striking out six on the afternoon.
 
La Salle had the bases loaded with no outs in the 5^th and the tying run on third in the 7^th but couldn't find the equalizer against the duo of Madison Clarke (W, 6-6) and Ashley Ventura (S, 3).
 
The Explorers are back in A-10 action this weekend as they visit the Massachusetts Minutewomen for a three-game series in Amherst.