Lady Bears Fall to Spalding in USCAA Nationals Opener

AKRON, OH – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball dropped their opening round game at the 2012 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Softball National Championships, falling to #3 Spalding University, 4-0.

The loss snaps #6 St. Joseph's (26-11) nine-game winning streak, but the Lady Bears still remain alive in the double-elimination tournament and will face #7 Penn State Beaver at 8 pm in an elimination game.

Spalding starter and USCAA All-American honorable mention Rena Philpot kept the Lady Bears off the board striking out 14 and limiting them to two hits on the game.  At the plate, Philpot went 2-for-3 with a RBI and was named Player of the Game.

Millicia Malvasio (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) and Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) knocked the lone hits for the Lady Bears.

The Golden Eagles got on the board early, knocking three hits in the first inning to post two runs off four-time USCAA All-American Alyson Chiaramonte (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic).  Spalding tacked on two insurance runs in the fifth and the Lady Bears could never get their bats going against Philpot.

Chiaramonte (17-7) went the distance and took the loss for St. Joseph's, giving up four runs (all earned) on eight hits, striking out four and walking one.