St. Joseph's Repeats as Softball Tournament Champions

Posted: May 04, 2014

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – St. Joseph's College outscored their opponents 32-1 en route to capturing their sixth-straight Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball championship on Sunday afternoon at Mary Levine Field at Sarah Lawrence College.

The Lady Bears (15-15, 2-0 HVIAC) capture the first official league title since 2009 – the last four tournaments played as an invitational with less than four conference teams – and their fourth overall.

St. Joseph's earned their way into the championship with an 18-0 victory over The College of New Rochelle, the Lady Bears scoring eight runs in the first inning and blasting four home runs along the way.

In their first varsity season, Yeshiva reached the title game with a dramatic, extra-inning, walk-off 17-16 semifinal win over Sarah Lawrence College. Down 12-9 entering their final at bat of regulation, the Gryphons scored three runs to help force extra innings. Sarah Lawrence then posted four runs in the top of the eighth to take their first lead of the game, Mackenzie Gassett (Camden, Maine) scoring the go-ahead run stealing home. But Yeshiva responded with five runs in the home half, Merav Saden Barach (Teaneck, N.J.) launching a two-run home run that tied the game at 16-16 and Erin Potasnick (Teaneck, N.J.) later delivering a walk-off single to the gap in left center.

Rain delayed the start of the championship game, but it didn't slow down St. Joseph's as they scored nine runs in the opening frame and never turned back, posting three in the second and two more in the third for the 14-1 victory.

Lady Bears starting pitcher Jackie Perillo (Howard Beach, N.Y.) held the Maccabees to just one run on four hits and struck out six for the complete game win in the championship and earned Tournament MVP honors for the second straight year, also batting 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, six runs, four walks and a stolen base over the tournament.

In ceremonies following the tournament, first year Sarah Lawrence head coach Chelsea Sheehan and Yeshiva head coach Steve Schucker were named Co-Coaches of the Year.

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2014 HVIAC Softball Championships

Sunday, May 4, 2014
at Mary Levine Field (Sarah Lawrence College)

Semifinals

#1 St. Joseph’s def. #4 New Rochelle, 18-0 (5 inn.)
#2 Yeshiva def. #3 Sarah Lawrence, 17-16 (8 inn.)

Championship

#1 St. Joseph’s def. #2 Yeshiva, 14-1 (5 inn.)

Tournament MVP

Jackie Perillo, St. Joseph’s - Jr. – Pitcher/Outfielder

2014 Co-Coaches of the Year

Chelsea Sheehan, Sarah Lawrence College
Steve Schucker, Yeshiva University

2014 All-Conference Team

Kayla Applebaum	Yeshiva	Sr.	OF	Teaneck, N.J.
Tanika Charles ^	New Rochelle	Sr.	OF/P	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Kristin Ferrigno	St. Joseph's	Fr.	3B	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mackenzie Gassett	Sarah Lawrence	Sr.	OF	Camden, Maine
Rena Genauer	Yeshiva	Jr.	P/OF	Seattle, Wash.
Rebecca Kuntz	Sarah Lawrence	So.	P	Northridge, Calif.
Rachel Mirsky	Yeshiva	So.	IF/OF	White Plains, N.Y.
Cassandra Molinari *	St. Joseph's	Jr.	C/2B	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Erin Potasnick	Yeshiva	Jr.	INF	Teaneck, N.J.
Samantha Rossi	St. Joseph's	Fr.	OF	Bayside, N.Y.
Samantha Simon	St. Joseph's	Fr.	SS	Brooklyn, N.Y.