A-10 streak ends for UMass softball

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WWLP) - A four-run ninth inning gave Saint Joseph's (31-14) a 6-2 victory over UMass (29-19) on Saturday morning in a nine-inning game that spanned two days after weather forced play to be suspended on Friday night with the score tied 2-2 going into the seventh.

The Hawks used five hits and an intentional walk to plate the four runs that
eliminate the Minutewomen and send the Hawks on to the conference
finals against top-seeded Fordham.  Fordham beat St. Joe's 4-0 and won the A-10 conference tournament.

The loss breaks a string of six A-10 Championships in a row for the
Minutewomen, who had won 15 out of the last 16 conference titles heading into the tournament.

After back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt to start the top of the seventh for St. Joe's, Monica Aguilar was intentionally walk to load the bases. Dana Bienek and Rochelle Christman followed with back-to-back singles to drive in runs, and after a strikeout, Taylor Korpita singled to drive in two more and make it a 6-2 game.

Plourde (27-15), who threw 241 pitches in 15+ innings on Friday, worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh and worked a 1-2-3 eighth before running into trouble in the ninth. The junior All-American finished the game with 12 strikeouts, 10 hits allowed, and seven walks, two of which were intentional.

After a brief delay, the game was suspended for 12 hours and five minutes after lightning was spotted at 8:55 on Friday night with the score tied 2-2 with the seventh inning about to start.

UMass came back from an early two-run deficit with solo home runs in the third and fourth innings on Friday. Freshman Lindsey Webster put the Minutewomen on the board with two outs in the third with her team-leading eight homer of the season and senior Audrey Boutin tied the game leading off the fourth with her fourth round-tripper.

St. Joe's took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Monica Aguilar blasted a two-run home run.

The NCAA Selection Show is Sunday at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.