Softball Defeats Mount Mary on Opening Day of Tucson Invitational Games

(TUCSON, AZ)  St. Joseph's College women's softball defeated AD3I school Mount Mary College 11-2 to to pick up their first win of the 2009 campaign and their first win three years at the Tucson Invitational Games.  Freshman Alyson Chiaramonte(Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) was dominant on the mound, pitching a complete game win, striking out 11.  In their first game of the day, the Lady Bears lost 10-2 to University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

St. Joseph's got ahead early against Mount Mary, posting three runs in the first inning with veteran Theresa Mendez(Queens, NY/St. Francis Prep) getting the offensive started with a leadoff double.  The Lady Bears then took advantage of back-to-back Mount Mary errors scoring Mendez and freshman Caitlyn Kakavas (Queens, NY/St. Agnes).  Jackie Marinello(Brooklyn, NY/Fontbonne) drove in Chiaramonte, who proved to be the deciding run, with a two-out single.  St. Joseph's bats came alive again in the second inning, getting seven hits and scoring eight runs.

Mount Mary scored two runs in the fourth inning taking advantage of several Lady Bears defensive miscues.  Two errors allowed Mount Mary to put runners on second and third and a passed ball scored the first Blue Angel run of the game.  Chiaramonte recovered striking out the side to end the inning.

Mendez led the Lady Bears offensively going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and one run batted in.  Freshmen Chiaramonte, Emily Palmieri (Staten Island, NY/St. John's Villa) and Jillian Troise(Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) all got their first collegiate hits. Chiaramonte also scored two runs.  On the mound, Chiaramonte gave up only one earned run on four hits.

In game one, UW-La Crosse scored five runs in the first inning and added two more in the second and third for a commanding 9-0 lead.  St. Joseph's showed signs of playing in their first game of the season, committing five errors.  La Crosse starting pitcher Kaylyn Von Glahn kept the Lady Bears bats quiet striking out seven without any hits.  St. Joseph's managed to stage a rally in the fourth against reliever Betsy Kerrigan scoring their only two runs on three hits and loading the bases before Von Glahn was re-entered at pitcher to get out of the jam.

Marinello and Palmieri each got a hit and RBI for the Lady Bears.  Kakavas also added a hit and a run scored.  Starting pitcher Lisa Scheer (Queens, NY/Mary Louis) received the loss, giving up six earned runs and striking out five.

St. Joseph's faces Amherst College (MA) at 12:30 p.m. and Otterbein College (OH) 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in their second day competing at the Tucson Invitational Games.