Release courtesy of St. Joseph's Athletics
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball avoided a scare from Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe The College of New Rochelle coming from behind to take a 10-8 victory in game one before cruising to a 14-0 win in the nightcap on Wednesday evening at Flowers Park.
In the opener, the Lady Bears (11-11, 1-0 HVIAC) took a 3-0 lead through 2 1/2 innings aided by two Blue Angels (0-10, 0-1 HVIAC) miscues that caused all three runs to come in unearned.
The hosts turned the tables with one swing of the bat as Kevona Jackson launched a grand slam in the bottom of the third to take a 4-3 lead.
The Lady Bears jumped back on top with three runs in the next half inning, scoring on Stephanie Rancel (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) fielders choice and a two-run double by Samantha Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney).
But New Rochelle, who has never won in the all-time series of 32 meetings, were poised to break the streak with four more runs to take an 8-6 lead after four innings.
St. Joseph's squashed any hopes of an upset however, jumping back on top with a three-run fifth, the first three batters reaching successfully to set the frame and the Lady Bears knocking five hits highlighted by RBI singles from Destiny Marino (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) and Erica Eddy(Glendale, N.Y./Christ the King).
After entering the game in the fourth, Lady Bears reliever Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Petrides) would preserve the one-run lead in the circle, tossing a near perfect final three innings surrendering just one walk over the span to improve to 4-6. McGowan allowed just one earned run on two hits in 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out one and walking two.
Simon, Marino, Eddy and Rancel would each finish with a pair of hits in the opener as the Lady Bears rapped 11 hits in the contest. The Lady Bears tacked on a solo run in the seventh for the final 10-8 margin, the closest game in the all-time series.
In the nightcap, St. Joseph's starter Theresa Armano (Middle Village, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) silenced the Blue Angels bats with a three-hit shutout, her third of the season, striking out six and walking one over five innings of work to improve to 5-0.
The Lady Bears got on the board quickly, scoring three runs in first, Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) opening the scoring by bringing home Simon who doubled before her.
A leadoff triple from Kristen Candelaria (Jamaica, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) in the second would help push the Lady Bears lead to 4-0 before the Lady Bears opened the flood gates with seven runs in the third highlighted by a two-run double from Samantha Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy) and the second double of the game from Simon.
The Lady Bears banged 15 hits in the game with Simon, Molinari, Jackie Perillo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), Candelaria and Eddy all finishing with two hits. Rossi and Geena Campisi (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) each drove in a team-high four RBI, Rossi collecting a double and Campisi knocking a triple.
St. Joseph's will return to the diamond to face University of Valley Forge in Phoenixville, Pa. for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18 starting at 5 p.m. (Please note later start time.)
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Release courtesy of CNR Athletics
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The College of New Rochelle softball team took the five-time defending HVIAC Champion St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn to the brink in the conference game Wednesday night at Flowers Park, scoring the most runs against the Lady Bears in the history of the series between the two teams.
After being retired in order in each of the first two innings, while St. Joseph's built a 3-0 lead, the Blue Angels mounted a rally in the bottom of the third in the front end of the scheduled double header. Loading the bases with two outs, rookieKevona Jackson blasted a grand slam home run to center field, clearing the bases and giving CNR a 4-3 lead.
The Lady Bears answered with three of their own in the top of the fourth to regain the lead, 6-4. But the Blue Angels again had a response, as a Caitlin Harrison RBI single, a two-RBI single by Jah-Leah Ellis and a RBI walk by Sheila Conde plated four runs and provided CNR with an 8-6 lead. The offensive outburst chased the St. Joe's starter and forced the Lady Bears to bring in a relief pitcher to stem the tide.
Unfortunately for the Blue Angels, the reliever quieted the CNR bats, allowing no hits over the final three innings while the Lady Bears scored three times in the fifth and once more in the seventh to allow St. Joe's to escape with a 10-8 win. The eight runs scored were the most for the Blue Angels in the history of the series with the Lady Bears, which dates back to 2003 and spans over 30 meetings.
In the nightcap, St. Joe's allowed just four Blue Angels to reach base and cruised to a 14-0 win in five innings. Ellis,Rita Saad, and Jackson each had one hit for CNR.
The Blue Angels are back in action on Sunday, April 19, traveling to Chestnut Hill, MA to take on Pine Manor College in a doubleheader scheduled for a 11:00 AM first pitch.
