TUCSON, Ariz. -- Megan Jones homered in each game as the Siena Heights softball team opened its season with a pair of victories -- 4-3 and 6-1 -- over NCAA Division III opponent Eastern (Pa.) on Sunday at the Tucson Invitational Games.
Jones batted 3-for-4 in the first game with a homer, double, run and RBI. Kyndle Wolfinger went 2-for-3 with a run, Hannah Bleikamp stole two bases and Taylor Hayes blasted a two-run home run.
Morgan Huttenlocker provided the game-winning RBI, plating Bleikamp with a groundout, and pitcher Stephanie Tylicki went the distance to earn the win.
Jones's dinger came in the top half of the fourth, giving the Saints a brief 1-0 advantage before Eastern struck for two runs in its half of the frame.
Hayes put the Saints (2-0) back on top in the fifth before Eastern tied the contest at 3-3 later in the fifth. This set the stage for Huttenlocker's grounder.
Tylicki allowed three runs on eight hits while compiling two strikeouts and two walks.
Kristen Waters (triple), Melinda Kreimer (double) and Kasey Williams had two hits apiece for the Eagles (0-2). Erica Pyla-Gibson had a two-run double and Karlee Kerchersky provided a double.
Relief pitcher Ashton Tomlinson suffered the loss.
In game two, Jones went 3-for-3 with a homer, two runs and an RBI. Hayes added a homer and three RBI, Mariah Boss scored two runs and Kelsie Abbott doubled.
Abbott tossed a four-hitter and went the distance to earn the win. She did not allow an earned run while recording nine strikeouts and one walk.
Siena Heights wasted little time getting on the board in game two. Hayes drove in Boss with a sacrifice fly and Jones homered in the Saints' two-run first.
Later, Hayes blasted a two-run homer in the third. An Eastern error in the inning then helped the Saints take a 5-0 lead.
After Eastern scored its only run in the fourth, Abbott looped an RBI two-bagger for the Saints' sixth and final run.
Pyla-Gibson was the losing pitcher. Reliever Haleigh Williams recorded six strikeouts in 3 2/3 frames of work for Eastern.
Williams had a double for the Eagle offense.
The Saints will return to action on Monday with one game against Northwestern (Iowa).
