Softball Gameday: Lady Bears vs. Alfred State & New England

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – St. Joseph's (0-0) opens up their season in Fort Myers, Fla. as they take part in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic beginning on Monday, March 17th with matchups against Alfred State (0-0) at 9 a.m. and the University of New England (0-0) at 11 a.m.

Game Information

St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (0-0) vs. Alfred State College (0-0)

Monday, March 17th • 9 a.m.
Lee County Sports Complex • Fort Myers, Fla.

St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (0-0) vs. University of New England (0-0)

Monday, March 17th • 11 a.m.
Lee County Sports Complex • Fort Myers, Fla.

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Storylines

• St. Joseph's begins quest for their first USCAA National Championships appearance since 2012 as they play against fellow USCAA member Alfred State.
• The Lady Bears look to start 2-0 in a season for the first time since 2010 when they started 5-0 enroute to a 28-9-1 finish that culminated with a trip to the USCAA National Championships.
• St. Joseph's tries to improve its all-time record at the Gene Cusic Classic to 6-14 with a pair of wins over the Pioneers and the Nor'easters.
• The Lady Bears try to get off to a better start in neutral-site games after going 1-5 a year ago.
• Alfred State looks to win their first season opener since 2010.
• New England tries to get off to a strong start after finishing last season with a 22-18-1 record and an appearance in the ECAC Division III New England Championship.

Series History

vs. Alfred State: First Meeting

vs. New England: First Meeting

The Bear Facts

St. Joseph's comes off a 2013 season that was a transition year for the program after losing several key starters that went to four consecutive USCAA National Tournaments. The Lady Bears finished 15-17-1 a year ago for their first losing record since 2008, but return several key contributors from a year ago.

St. Joseph's looks to get back to the USCAA National Tournament for the first time since going for four consecutive years in a streak that ended in 2012. The Lady Bears return seven players from a year ago, but coach Carbone and his staff also welcome in eight new players who look to make a mark in their first year with the team.

Outfielder Maria Randazzo is the top returning hitter for St. Joseph's from a year ago. The sophomore hit .434 in 53 ABs, scoring 13 runs and driving in nine runs. The leading run producer for the Lady Bears from last year also returns in catcher/second baseman Cassandra Molinari. The junior had 28 RBI and batted .359 in 92 ABs, while also pitching seven innings on the season, allowing only one earned run.

The leading returnee in the circle is Jackie Perillo who went 7-6 a year ago in 68 1/3 innings of work in her first year pitching, throwing a no-hitter against New Rochelle on April 4th. The junior also plays in the outfield and is a threat at the plate, hitting .325 a year ago with a team-high-tying three home runs, scored a team-high 28 runs and knocked in 19 runs.

Scouting the Pioneers

Alfred State is making the transition from the junior college ranks to a member of NCAA Division III. The Pioneers are coming off a season in which they went 8-26, for their sixth straight losing season. Alfred State is making the move to Division III with a young roster, having 18 underclassmen on the roster. The Pioneers return their top four hitters from a year ago but lose two pitchers who threw all 211 1/3 innings for them last season.

Aubri Mosier, last year's leading hitter, returns for her sophomore season after batting .426 in 108 ABs with a team-high 32 RBIs along with 22 runs scored and 13 doubles. Also returning is Brooke Gustin who hit .330 a year ago with 19 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

Katie Jackson returns as the Pioneeers leader in runs scored from a year ago with 36 and batted .327 with a team-high 17 stolen bases.

Storm Watch

New England takes part in the Gene Cusic Classic for the fourth consecutive year and posted a 6-4 record at the event on its way to a 22-18-1 record. The Nor'easters finished with a 12-6 record in Commonwealth Coast Conference play, and qualified for the ECAC New England Championship. New England looks to make it back to the NCAA Championship, where they won a game in 2012.

Leading five all-conference selections returning to this year's roster is Adrienne Chase who led the team in batting average (.406), home runs (5), extra-base hits (15) and runs batted in (28). Sophomore outfielder Amanda Vallante adds contributions at the top of the lineup after finishing with a .387 batting average and 21 runs scored. Both Chase and Vallante were First Team All-CCC selections in 2013.

Outfielder Allie Frazier and middle infielder Meghan Bolano are coming off second team all-conference seasons. Frazier led the team with 27 runs scored while batting .269 and Bolano sent three balls of the fence in just 63 at-bats.

In the circle, the Nor'easters have an honorable mention All-CCC selection in Abby Lambert who posted a 9-6 record with 56 strikeouts. Also helping out on the pitching side is Lauren Doneski who went 8-5 with 50 punchouts. The duo combined for 18 complete games and one shutout.

Team Comparison

*Statistics from 2013 season

Lady Bears (2013)	Nickname	Pioneers (2013)	Nor'easters (2013)
15-17-1	Record	8-26	22-18-1
HVIAC	Conference	USCAA	CCC
Roster | Schedule | Statistics	Team Info	Roster | Schedule | Statistics	Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Maria Randazzo (.434)	Top Avg.	Aubri Mosier (.426)	Adrienne Chase (.406)
Cassandra Molinari (28)	Top RBI	Aubri Mosier (32)	Adrienne Chase (28)
Mabel Vargas (39)	Top K	Clarissa Swain (69)	Abby Lambert (56)
.339	Bat. Avg.	.269	.285
.501	Slugging	.339	.378
.401	OBP	.361	.354
202	Runs	167	208
276	Hits	237	316
183	RBI	129	173
23	SB	73	52
5.50	ERA	5.13	3.67
.317	Opp. Avg.	.404	.313
90/107	K/BB	102/89	146/81
.925	Field %	.901	.950