ELON, N.C. – The Niagara softball team fell 7-3 to the Saint Joseph's Hawks on Saturday in its third game at the Phoenix Opening Tournament.

Niagara (0-3) scored all of its three runs in the fifth inning, but it was unable to dig itself out of a 7-0 hole. The Purple Eagles scored their first run when Bridget Hogan was hit by a pitch to send home Brittany Richberg.  Amanda Werth followed with a two-RBI single to centerfield for team-leading fifth RBI of the season.

SJU (1-0), which was playing in its first game of the season, scored in three straight innings beginning with a two-run homer in the third. The Hawks pushed across two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a 7-0 lead.

Niagara will finish play at the Phoenix Opening Tournament on Sunday against Saint Jospeh's.