PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania softball team rolled to a two-game sweep of Saint Joseph's on Saturday. Following Senior Day ceremonies during which the Quakers celebrated the five graduating members of the Class of 2021—Abigail Abramson, Eliza DeMers, Kayla Ketring, Stephanie Reheuser, and Lucy Yang—the Red and Blue topped the Hawks 2-1 in Game 1 and 7-1 in Game 2.
 
Both teams ended the day with .500 overall records, as Penn improved to 2-2 and SJU fell to 10-10.
 
Game 1 – Penn 2, SJU 1
Penn drew first blood right away, loading the bases across their first four batters and then scoring Brianna Brown with their first run on a Sammy Fenton groundout.
 
Penn made some noise in the third when Emma Nedley's popup to center fell amid three Saint Joseph's players and she ended up on second with a double. Brown followed with a single, moving Nedley to third and putting runners on the corners with nobody out. However, Nedley was erased when the Quakers tried a double steal, and then Julia Schneider and Yang struck out.
 
In the fourth, Fenton and Sarah Schneider roped singles back up the middle and then Corrie Philips walked to load the bases with nobody out. However, Laurel McKelvey's sharp grounder back through the box bounced right up into the pitcher's glove, a 1-2-3 double play that erased Fenton at the plate. Abramson then grounded out and the rally was officially snuffed.
 
The Hawks had just one hit through five innings, but they quickly put runners on second and third to start the sixth. Abramson was able to get out of the jam relatively unscathed, though, allowing only the tying run when Payton Baxter placed a perfect bunt right in front of the plate that allowed Sarah Ostaszewski to score.
 
Penn went right back in front in the bottom half. Yang was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fenton and to third on Sarah Schneider's fly ball deep to right. The senior then scored when Julia Mortimer stroked a single past second base and into center.
 
SJU got a runner all the way to third in the seventh inning, but a long fly ball to left by Caela Abadie held up in the wind and landed in Brown's glove just short of the wall for the final out.
 
Abramson had a strong outing on the mound, going the distance and allowing just four hits while striking out eight. Six different players had hits for the Quakers.
 
Game 2 – Penn 7, Saint Joseph's 1
Penn used another fast start in the nightcap, scoring all seven of their runs in the first three innings.
 
The Quakers manufactured the game's first two runs in the bottom of the first. Julia Schneider and then Sarah Schneider walked with one out, with both advancing a base on a wild pitch. From there, Yang scored Julia on a groundout, and then Fenton scored Sarah with a two-out single between third base and shortstop.
 
In the second, Nedley provided the thunder when she followed walks by Bella Fiorentino and Alyssa Pope with a three-run homer that cut through the wind and landed over the high wall in center.
 
SJU got on the board in the top of the third, loading the bases and then scoring an unearned run on a Penn error with two outs. However, starter Julia Longo escaped further damage by inducing a fly ball that Fenton caught nicely over her shoulder. The Quakers then responded with two more runs in the bottom half when Fenton singled, Julia Mortimer doubled and Bella Fiorentino walked to start the inning. Fenton eventually scored when Alyssa Pope's liner was trapped at second base, and then Mortimer scored on a Nedley single.
 
That was all Longo needed as she shut down the Hawks bats, holding them to just two hits while striking out six. Nedley had two of Penn's 10 hits, giving her three for the day, while the freshman Fenton went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
 
Penn is back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Villanova for a twinbill that will start at 2:30 p.m.